THE FLESH AND THE SOUL
by Daisy60
Summary: A multi-chapter story, mainly AU. A new territory to explore. Enjoy the reading.
1. Chapter 1

**Back to Bones. A new multi-chapter story, mainly AU. I'm entering a new territory, something that's been lingering in my mind for a while now. If you're curious enough to find out where I'm daring to dwell follow me along this journey. Enjoy the reading.**

**gawilliams, thanks for your incredible insight, your precious advice and for our amazing friendship. this story would have never seen the light of day without you. Thanks again Gregg.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones. Some of the characters in the story belong to my imagination.**

**THE FLESH AND THE SOUL**

**Prologue**

In the break of dawn a feminine silhouette walked through the silent corridors of the building, her rubber soles softening the sound of her footsteps as she headed for the back entrance. She turned the key noiselessly not to disturb anybody and let herself out on the terrace overlooking the back yard.

She took a deep breath and inhaled the chilly air of the early morning pulling the collar of her cardigan all the way up to protect her throat from the breeze that welcomed her together with the first chirping of the birds.

She went down the steps and took the lane leading to the tool shed. She unlocked the door and moved into the small room which smelled of wood, soil and mold. She put on her gardening apron with tools and shoved her gloves into one of the pockets then changed her shoes for some more fit rubber boots, grabbed a spade, a hoe and the bucket full of vegetable and herb seeds she intended to plant that day.

As she reached the piece of land she had chosen to work on she kept her eyes straight ahead of her never breaking contact with the outstanding display offered by the awakening sky.

Darkness was quickly fading away to give place to an incredible palette of warm colors as if God had decided to turn the early hours of the new day into his best work of art.

She stilled as the first golden rays pierced the horizon and she let herself melt in the beauty surrounding her. She just loved being there, alone with herself and the magnificence of the creation. A feeling of peace with the world would come and fill her whole being, the ice that had enveloped her heart gradually melting away.

She was finally coming to terms with the pain that had torn her apart, accepting it to simply go on living her new life.

She had found spirituality in her garden, it had been her new beginning, something she knew, deep down inside, would never let her down.

The recent rain had made the soil soft and pliable and she smiled thinking that by noon all the seeds in the bucket would rest in the humid dark-colored layer under her feet. She set up a steady pace as the hoe broke up the wet clods.

Suddenly she heard a dull noise as the metal tool hit something under the surface.

A stone – she thought – trying to pull it out without success. She knelt and started digging with her hands till she felt something thin and smooth.

Definitely not a stone.

She kept digging and when she sensed the ground was loose enough she slowly pulled again.

As the white shape emerged in her hands a myriad of images stormed through her mind bringing back the memories of a past she had painfully learned to bury.

**B&B**

It was definitely a ring tone.

Booth groaned and reached out to get his cell phone from the night stand. The display of the alarm clock showed 6:50.

On a Saturday morning!

"Damn it!" He cursed. He let it ring and covered his head with the pillow. Whoever it was he'd get tired soon enough, he thought.

Only it didn't.

"Booth" he answered in a low tone.

"Good morning sir" - he saluted hearing his boss' voice on the other end of the line - "of course I was asleep, sir... I'm off duty actually." he stated trying not to think about the massive headache he felt coming because of the booze he had the night before and the lack of sleep since he had sneaked into bed at past three in the morning.

"Yes, I have plans... I'm supposed to spend the weekend with my son, why?" he asked placing his forearm over his eyes. The light piercing through the window was just too much to bear.

"What?" he asked. "I can't believe there's no other agent to investigate the case..."

Booth paused.

"Urgent... what do you mean it's urgent?" he insisted. He was getting rather annoyed and needed a valid explanation for this.

"And delicate?" on top of that he said to himself.

Another pause.

"I see sir. I'll be there as soon as possible. Bye."

Hell! he thought staring at the ceiling still holding the cell phone in his hand. He hit one of the speed dials and waited.

She was not going to like this at all.

"Hi Rebecca. I know...sorry to wake you up. Listen I can't take Parker today, don't know about tomorrow yet."

He pulled the phone away from his ear.

"What do you mean you had your plans? I had mine too... you know? and I _really_ wanted to have my son over the weekend. Just... don't get mad OK? It's work and it's damn urgent. I have to go now. Talk to you later right? Thanks Bec. Bye."

Booth dropped the cell phone beside him, rubbed his still sleepy eyes then stretched his arms above his head.

He could hardly manage to drag his body out of bed.

Pulling himself together he got up and reached the bathroom, turned on the water, got rid of his clothes and stepped into the hot spray. He bent his head on his chest letting the scolding-hot shower relieve some of the tension he had accumulated. He knew the minute he'd felt the water hit his skin he would be absolutely powerless against the awakening of his body.

"Shit!" he let out looking at his lower belly. He couldn't possibly go there like this. Of all the places on earth... he said to himself.

He lathered his arms and chest then let his hand slid slowly down toward his aching self.

He closed his eyes and sighed.

**B&B**

At 7:40 Booth placed his bag into the trunk, climbed on the driver's seat and set the navigator. Then he buckled his safety belt and turned on the engine.

It was going to be a long drive.

**A/N: I hope you liked this prologue. Are you intrigued? Chapter 2 will follow soon. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the second chapter of The Flesh and the Soul. Still AU. You'll be able to understand where I'm heading for as you read on. So follow me along this journey. It's a real challenge for me. Enjoy the reading.**

**A/N.: thanks for the encouraging reviews I got on the Prologue. **

**A/N.: thanks Gregg.**

**Chapter 2**

The aspirins had worked their magic and the caffeine running through his body had managed to put his whole system on full alert. As he drove along the highway he couldn't help but think about the real mess he'd made with his life.

Not only had he gotten his girlfriend pregnant, which was something he still felt quite guilty for. He was a Catholic. An observant one for God's sake! He should have been more careful about _that. _It was his responsibility as a man to make sure nothing happened...

Except it had happened.

A new career to celebrate, too many drinks, both too high... and she had been so vulnerable in his arms, so carried away...

"It's OK." she had whispered in his ear. "I'm on the pill."

But that was a lie. A damn lie.

A whole weekend... in each other's arms... never wanting to stop... too lazy to get up... barely eating but themselves... showering under the freezing water to _cool off _a bit, both laughing out loud at the thought as they made love against the chilly tiles...

That weekend had been enough to start a new life. Rebecca had hidden her pregnancy at first, had even thought about interrupting it, driving him almost insane when she had finally told him that _a child would compromise her career..._ that she was _far too young to throw away her life like that!_

He tightened his grip on the wheel. She had almost thrown away their child, his beautiful two-year-old blond little angel... Parker.

Tears started to well up in his eyes as the image of his son formed in his mind. He had fought for him, cried in front of her to keep him alive. He had not been ashamed of showing her his tears because his greatest shame, the one that would have stained his soul forever, the one he would have never forgiven himself for, was accepting to kill his own child.

He swallowed hard as memories stormed through his brain.

The sun was taking possession of the most incredible blue sky he had ever seen turning the cold air of the early morning into a warm embrace. Yet, after two years, he couldn't get rid of the pain that crushed his heart like a stone... She had punished him. Shutting him out. From her life, from her pregnancy, from his son. As if the baby was hers, _only hers_.

Booth pulled over and let the pain overcome him. Tears turning into uncontrollable sobs. Head bent forward to touch his hands on the steering wheel he cried until he had no more tears to shed.

When he finally looked at his image reflected by the rear-view mirror he gasped: it matched perfectly how he felt inside.

_Come on, get a grip on yourself! - _He thought pulling his SUV back on the road - _there's work to be done._

He glanced at the navigator. Another forty miles before he reached his destination. Before he entered a world he'd never ever imagined to see...

As he was driving on the road winding uphill in front of him his cell phone rang.

"Booth." he answered switching it into loudspeaker mode.

"What? An accident?... anybody hurt? Good. OK, thanks, I think I can handle this on my own till the team gets here."

Right - he thought circling a grassy island covered almost completely with an explosion of gold, yellow and blue flowers - he could manage _this_ by himself but wouldn't he feel awkward? What could possibly go wrong in such a place apart from... _that body_...

He was armed, he was a sniper, one of the best... for Christ's sake - he told himself - that was the last place on earth he would need to shoot, for sure.

He took the lane to the left and drove into the parking lot which was about a hundred yards from the main entrance. Jeez the complex was beautiful he couldn't help but think as he approached the large two-story building made of brown stone. At least two centuries-old, he judged by the look of it. And there was a little church, in the same style, attached to it.

Most definitely the place to retire, the thought crossed his mind as he moved up the steps leading to the front door.

He pushed the bell. An old woman welcomed him.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth from the FBI."

"Yes, follow me." said the woman gliding along a sparkling clean corridor.

They came to the end and the woman knocked on the last door on the right.

"Come in." they heard from inside.

"Good morning Agent Booth. Please sit down." invited the middle-aged woman behind the desk in front of him.

He gave her a puzzled look.

"Don't worry, we do not have supernatural powers, even if … in our case..." - she smiled - "I simply called the Bishop about the discovery. Our Sister Temperance, here, found the corpse at dawn."

At her words she nodded toward the large white French window overlooking the garden where another woman stood, her back to them.

She turned and as the most beautiful pair of crystal blue eyes met his dark chocolate ones he felt the air leave his lungs.

She lowered her eyes immediately and Booth diverted his gaze embarrassed, looking back at the older woman who had risen from her seat to greet him. He moved toward the chair and sat down.

"I'm the Mother Superior Agent Booth. We've been here for a very long time, helping the most neglected, children without family and no future. We've served according to the rule of our order, in silence and in obedience. You understand why I called the Bishop? He said he'd take care of the matter _personally_. When he phoned back he told me they were sending someone we could trust, who could understand the discretion we need not to upset our community."

Booth nodded. "I understand, perfectly. Now, Reverend Mother..." - he said standing up - "I'd like to see the body."

"Of course. Sister Temperance will take you there."

"Thank you Mother." he said.

The younger woman left the study silently and Booth followed her without daring to look at her.

The Mother Superior had never taken her eyes from his face, studying him. Deep down, under that handsome, manly look she had seen great suffering. His eyes were unable to lie, not to her. She had seen the same pain five years before.

"A tormented soul..." – she whispered – "two..." - she added thinking about the couple who had just left her room.

She touched the small silver cross hanging around her neck and sighed.

"Whatever your plan is sweet Lord."

**A/N.: I hope you liked this part. please review if you did and even if you didn't. good critics are useful. thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the third part of the story. Thank you for the nice, encouraging reviews on the previous chapters. The journey is not going to be an easy one for our favorite couple, but then again we have waited for so long for them to get together in the show... so be patient and follow me. Enjoy the reading and let me know your opinion on this. Thanks.**

**Silvia, you have left us so soon, the pain is just too much to bear right now, especially for your mum and dad (my dear colleagues). You will always be in my heart.**

**Thanks Gregg.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones.**

**Chapter 3**

They walked silently down the corridor and past the back door she had crossed earlier that morning, leading him down the stairs and along the narrow lane toward the tool shed. He kept his gaze ahead never turning his eyes on the elegant form moving beside him.

She pushed the door of the shed. He followed her in and was struck dumb by the way everything had been neatly arranged in the small room. Almost with scientific method. Pots and vases of different sizes accurately piled up on a metal shelf under the window, several tools hooked to a metal rack on the wall, a gardening apron folded on the table and three rows of boxes on the shelves, disposed according to the alphabetical order.

He was fascinated by the beauty of the handwriting on the labels and his right hand moved upward, unconsciously, wanting to touch it. He stopped and shoved his hand into the pocket of his pants.

She saw the query look in Booth's eyes and anticipated his question.

"I've been in charge of gardening for a few years now. I like to keep everything... under control..." she said feeling her voice falter. That was very strange for her. She was not used to it.

Seeley Joseph Booth was so good at reading people. A single glance at the young woman next to him told him she was holding back...

He smiled at her.

"It's... surprising." - he said - " My grandfather's tool shed looked like... well... almost like a battlefield."

Her lips curled slightly upward as the image formed in her mind then resumed their usual position.

"I think you might need to wear these." she suggested pointing at the shoe rack full of dark green rubber boots. "I reckon you are..." - she paused and he could see she was quickly processing the thought – "...there, this pair should do."

He took the boots and started to remove his shoes. In the blink of an eye she took off her plain black leather ones and stepped into the rubber boots she had left by the door. She took two pairs of latex gloves and handed him one.

"Thank you." he said thinking he had actually forgotten to take his stuff from the trunk.

"You're welcome. Shall we go then?"

He nodded.

As they resumed their walk along the path silence once again descended on them and Booth couldn't help but notice how detached she seemed from what she'd seen earlier that day.

How could she look so calm and self-assured...? and so... beautiful... even if the religious habit she wore concealed much of her...

Booth swallowed hard and chastised himself for letting his mind wonder about the woman. Not any woman. _A nun_! What was he messing around with?

_Stop it!_ He ordered himself trying to focus on the path ahead, on the sound of his heavy steps on the gravel.

The landscape all around was breathtaking. They skirted a small pond whose banks were covered with golden daffodils reflecting their trumpet-like coronas into its glassy surface and his mind flew to the Greek youth, Narcissus, drowned after falling into the water, simply unable to stop looking at his own reflection. He stilled and turned toward her, almost hypnotized.

"Just beautiful." he whispered looking at her. The words had escaped his lips on their own volition and he blushed.

She stopped and their eyes locked, trapped in the intensity of the moment.

She felt her cheeks turn into a brighter shade of pink and her heart began to race in her chest.

She lowered her eyes then looked at the flowers surrounding them.

"They are in fact beautiful..." - she stated, desperately trying to compartmentalize her feelings. Oh, she thought, she had been so good at that before... - "these are called Narcissus February Gold because of their early flowering. But their blossom is long lasting so it's quite common to see them in late March, like right now... beautiful but... _dangerous_." she said helpless under his spell.

Booth felt a strange stirring inside as his irises fused with hers.

"It's a toxic plant..." - she resumed her scientific talk - "due to the presence of the alkaloid poison lycorine in the leaves and in the bulb, which is commonly mistaken for an onion..."

He was lost in thought.

"Shall we move on?" she inquired.

"Sure," he replied waking up from his reverie.

And they were silent again.

They finally came to a piece of land which looked quite different from the one they had just walked through. It was secluded, separated from the other by a fence.

"This ground was annexed to our convent last year. It belonged to a an estate sold by the rightful heirs of its owner, an Englishman who had moved here to retire. They just didn't want the land so we bought it. I was about to take care of it, turn it into an orchard..."

She stopped and pointed to a large black plastic cover a few yards in front of them. "There it is."

"You've covered the body..."

"Of course I did." she declared as if her words were the only logical thing to say. "Even if it was sunny this morning the weather can be unpredictable in March. What if started raining? I didn't want the remains to be compromised."

He was taken aback by her reply.

"How can you possibly talk like...?"

"Like I knew exactly what I'm talking about?"

"Yes." was all he could say.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about Agent Booth."

How strange his name sounded on her lips as she pronounced it for the first time, she thought . At that she knelt to remove the thick cover from the hole.

"I dug out these ..." she said indicating the hand and the arm that emerged from the soil almost reaching out. "This incomplete supracondylar fracture of the humerus you see here was caused by the impact with the hue I was using..."

She paused, a serious look on her face.

"I feel … almost responsible for this... exposing this corpse... disturbing its eternal rest... I have to give a name and a face to these bones... but I cannot do it here. I do not have the adequate instruments at my disposal..."

He was speechless.

"With your consent I'd like to help you with this investigation … these skeletal remains should be properly removed and sent to the Jeffersonian Institute in D.C. for thorough examination... they have the most proficient instruments and the best team one could dream of... the Mother Superior has already contacted Dr. Goodman who is the ... "

She froze as Booth knelt beside her, invading her personal space, almost touching her.

"I can't... how do you...?" - he stuttered bewildered - "who are you?" he finally asked drilling his eyes into hers.

"My name is..." - she began - "… I was Dr. Temperance Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, when I entered this world."

**A/N: the story is beginning to unfold but there's still a lot to come. Thanks for reading. I should be able to post part 4 soon. Lilly**


	4. Chapter 4

**There seems to be a problem with the site and I'm reposting this.**

**Chapter 4: the story starts to unfold and our amazing characters start to struggle with their emotions. I should be able to post chapter 5 soon. Enjoy the reading.**

**A/N: thanks for the nice reviews and the response to the first chapters.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones. **

**Thank you Gregg. **

**CHAPTER 4**

He found her in the small library, alone. Sitting by the window overlooking the beautiful garden he knew, by now, she dedicated a part of herself to. He stopped to look at her. One thing he could never get tired of...

She was aware of his presence behind her the moment he opened the door and her heart skipped to a higher beat. She didn't turn and he didn't move. Silence almost defeaning them. She raised her head from the register on the table, fixed her eyes on the window and sighed.

Booth heard her and chose that moment to move. He took a chair and sat next to her. She turned to him.

"I wanted to show you this..." he said giving her a small plastic bag.

She reached out and as she took hold of it their fingers brushed. Softly. She withdrew immediately.

He stilled and lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry." he said, his voice low, almost a whisper. He placed the evidence on the table.

"We found it in the victim's right hand. Just this."

"It's not hers. This is a man's ring." she stated looking at the golden jewel.

"Hers?" his eyes widened with surprise.

"Yes, the skeleton belongs to a woman, quite young... I can't tell you her age nor the cause of death... yet."

"Would you like to see the corpse before we leave? - he suggested - "the team's almost done with it."

"I can't." she replied the moment the bells rang announcing it was time for the Vespers.

"I see... I'd better go then."

He stood and headed for the door. He turned and their eyes met once again. "We're shipping the remains together with some samples of the soil to the Jeffersonian..."

Her smile was more precious than all the words she could have said and he felt his heart swell.

"I guess I'll see you there?"

She nodded.

**B&B**

All her sisters were already there and she hastened to occupy the only vacant seat left in the small church. Hers.

Sister Catherine started to recite the introduction to the Vespers.

_ O God, come to my aid._

_ O Lord, make haste to help me._

Hands joined Brennan looked at the Crucified Christ above the altar as her lips moved to say a prayer she had recited so many times enveloped by the peace of the little chapel. She raised her left hand and placed it on the little silver cross just below her neck.

She felt her heart beat suddenly increase in her chest.

Instinctively she turned toward the small windows which separated her from the world outside. Her lips stilled and her mind drifted away... to the people about to leave... _to him._

_ Cleanse us, O God, we humbly plead,_

_ From sins of thought and word and deed._

She closed her eyes and tried to shut out his image and the musky scent of his skin she had inhaled a few minutes before out of her mind, joining her sisters who were now reciting the Hymn. But she could not.

She turned back to the windows, and her gaze lingered there once more, eyes lost in the fading of the day.

And she was silent again.

**B&B**

Booth woke up covered with sweat, his heart thundering in his chest.

_What the hell was he_ _**doing**_? he thought, reaching out to his night stand, trying to grab the alarm clock. He knocked it over and it fell to the floor.

"Jesus!" he yelled.

As he leaned down to pick up the clock he felt nauseous, his head about to explode. He pressed the snooze bar.

_Two o'clock! _And it was _**Sunday**_!

He let himself collapse back in bed and let out a long painful sigh. He had barely slept and when he had finally dozed off his tormented sleep had filled his mind with images of... _her._

_Of her eyes... of the soft brushing of her fingers... of... _

"I'll be damned for this!" he cried. He knew, oh he knew so well _what images_ of her had ravaged his dreams. What he had _seen_ underneath those clothes. "... and I will rot in Hell!"

Definitely there was no use in tossing and turning all night long. He got up, grabbed a beer from the fridge, switched on the tv and dropped onto the couch. Finding the sports channel, he tried to concentrate on the hockey game.

Yeah, he thought, that would do. Ice, skaters, sticks... nothing better than some physical, fast-paced sport to take his mind off... _her. _

Just the image of her face forming before his eyes made his body shiver and he looked desperately at his lower belly stirring to life.

"**Never!**" he shouted "ever am I going to touch my body dreaming of her!"

And how could he pretend to walk into church and confess such impure thoughts? Way too much! That would make a mortal sin no priest would _**ever**_ give him absolution from. He was not going to do this, not to her.

He was driving himself crazy. He got up and headed for the shower, turned on the cold water, took off his T-shirt and pants, and shoved himself under the chilly spray.

"Oh God!" he cried. "Why are you doing this to me?"

**A/N: did you like it? still more to come. thanks to all the readers for the amazing figures I'm getting to most of my stories. That really makes my day and keeps me going. Lilly**


	5. Chapter 5

**I honestly don't know what's going on with the site but this part simply disappeared so I'm reposting it.**

**Chapter 5 of The Flesh and The Soul. Booth is about to discover Limbo and a new side of Sister Brennan. There is still a lot of tension growing and more is about to come out... Enjoy the reading.**

**A/N: I'd like to thank you all the readers who reviewed for their nice and encouraging words about my story. I believe in the power of writing but most of all in the power of imagination. So I've just unleashed mine and I'm happy to see some of you are eager to follow me along this journey.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg.**

**Chapter 5**

Booth stopped by the threshold and his eyes widened in awe.

So this was what they called Limbo.

_Limbo_... the association was automatic in his mind... a place for suspended souls...

There, enveloped by the milky halo of the large room, she was, totally focused on the remains she had discovered the day before. He was mesmerized by the vision of her as she examined each bone, thoroughly, attentively, almost waiting for them to speak to her, tell her their painful story. And she caressed them as if, by doing so, she could bring them back to life, thus reconnecting the body they once belonged to with a time long gone.

She seemed transfigured and he was lost in her. No other human being had ever had the same effect on him.

"An angel clothed in human flesh." he heard himself whisper almost imperceptibly.

She turned and smiled at him. The peace he saw in her eyes staggered him and he lost focus on anything that wasn't her, only her, in that moment.

For the first time he was able to see the soft, long auburn locks that framed her face even if she had pulled them together not to fall loose while she worked, and her habit had being replaced by a blue, calf-long lab coat with her name embroidered on the front, above the logo of the Jeffersonian.

With a nod she invited him to join her at the long table where she was accurately placing the poor remains into a plastic box.

"I know who this is. There has been no traumatic death for this young woman. She died giving birth to a child when she was in her early twenties," she told him with an obvious reverence for the remains and also the child that wasn't there.

"How can you be so sure?" he said unable to understand how in such a short lapse of time she had figured that out.

"There were some small bone fragments which did not belong to this body but to a new-born male child, his son." - she said pulling out an old picture of a middle-aged man in a rather proud pose holding a gun, in a hunting attire - " this ring you gave me yesterday? It was his... I conducted a little research in our archives..." She paused lowering her gaze, recalling their brief encounter the evening before. "These initials were quite significant. H.A.E.W. They belong to the owner of the estate, Sir _**H**_enry _**A**_ntony _**E**_dward _**W**_right, who settled here during World War II with his family and a fifteen-year-old girl of Polish origin, whose parents had been deported to a Nazi concentration camp. Her name was Margjta Jasinski."

"I guess he was _more_ than a step-father to her..." Booth stated quite naturally.

At that Brennan stiffened and turned, avoiding his eyes, staring at the ground.

He was taken aback. Why would she react like that? he thought. Instinctively he reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. She pulled away like the day before and he was puzzled at her reaction.

"I'm sorry." he said sensing he must have crossed a line he shouldn't have.

"It doesn't matter, really." she replied still unable to keep eye contact.

_Oh it does_, thought Booth. Something related to what he had let out, just like that, had hit her hard, as if... Could _**that**_ be what his instinct at reading people was telling him? In that moment Seeley Booth was back into full investigative mode. He _**had**_ to find out. Somehow he _**had**_ to know, as if his life _**depended**_ on it. On _**her**_.

"Here is a detailed report of my examination together with the list of phone calls I made this morning to contact Sir Henry's sons. Dr. Hodgins will be glad to give you the results of his analyses of the particulates you brought yesterday. Now, if you will excuse me..." she declared matter-of-fact "I have some more remains I'd like to identify before I go."

"Alright." he replied rather disappointed with how things had turned out between them.

He glanced at her once more and left.

**B&B**

Brennan was about to recite the Vespers alone, in the bedroom of the small apartment she occupied while in Washington D.C., with a special dispensation from the Bishop, so she could work on the case at the Jeffersonian than be back at the convent in Virginia over the weekend.

She kneeled down, eyes closed, hands joined near her heart. Then she started.

_O God, come to my aid._

_O Lord, make haste to help me. _

Brennan focused on the opening lines of the Evening Prayer. **He** had already done that, once before, not so long ago... allowing her to radically change the main course of her life, to leave the tumultuous waters she had nearly drowned in for the more peaceful ones of her new spiritual self. The ones in which she had hoped to navigate safely, shutting out her painful emotions behind the walls she had built around her heart, simply letting the grief gradually fade away. Even if the pain which had shattered her life had never completely disappeared, she had managed to accept it, first, and then let it go so that she could live again. At peace with herself, in God.

_Cleanse us, O God, we humbly plead,_

_From sins of thought and word and deed._

Brennan opened her eyes and looked at the cross she had placed on the wall above her bed where the agonizing Christ seemed to look down on her. She diverted her gaze, feeling the old struggle inside conquer her again as guilt set in.

_**Sins**... of _**thought**_... of the _**man**_... of his _**scent**_... of his _**touch**_... _

Brennan shut her eyes and lowered her head. Intertwining her fingers on her lap she squeezed them until the phalanges hurt so much she feared they would simply break. She let herself drop on the floor and lay flat, her chin touching the cold surface, arms spread outward, her body like a cross. She wouldn't dare to look at Christ Crucified above her feeling utterly undeserving of his mercy. For she had betrayed him.

"Forgive me Father." she whispered. And she started to cry.

**B&B**

Seeley Booth stared at the folder on his desk and was tempted to just put it back where it belonged.

What right did he have to do this? He asked himself. How dare **he **enter a territory he simply wasn't allowed to?

He sighed and stared at the void. He _**had**_to know. No matter the consequences. No matter how guilty he would feel afterwards...

He lowered his eyes to the file, opened it, and read the name in capital letters on the front page.

DR. TEMPERANCE BRENNAN

**A/N: so how was this part? Thanks for reading and for letting me know your opinion about this. Lilly**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6. Things are getting somewhat harsh... Booth is opening Brennan's file. I do not intend to upset anyone so I've changed the rating to M. We didn't get to know much about her past in the show so I've decided to make up some facts for the story. If you think this is just too much feel free to leave. If you're still intrigued... well, read on and enjoy.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones.**

**Thanks Gregg, as always.**

**Chapter 6**

Booth couldn't take his eyes off that photo. So young yet so sad. Jaw set, glassy look, she stared right at the void in front of her. He saw something in those eyes... He knew exactly what it was. It was as if the light had suddenly gone out. He had been there..., and that light had gone out for him, too. A long time ago.

He gulped. He could still do it. He could still close the folder and forget all about it, about _her._

But that seemed almost impossible. As if their lives were inexplicably linked together by some bizarre twist of fate he was sucked into the vortex of her life and he needed to see the very bottom of it. So he turned the page and read on...

Foster care... Pennsylvania... eight months. Cause of changing family... inadequacy of social skills, unable to put up with the other members of the family... nicknamed "Morticia" by her schoolmates because of her habit of dissecting dead animals, no close friends...

New families... more places to move in... other people to get on with... he thought. Anyone would have been "trouble" in her shoes. What teenager would have been _happy_ to participate in the crazy merry-go-round of foster families of the system and why did she have to in the first place? What had happened to her biological family? Was she an orphan? Did she have any close relatives who could have taken care of her? As he quickly went through the sheets of papers and the various reports contained in the folder he found it.

_Max and Ruth Keenan_, bank robbers who had to go into hiding after testifying against some of their complices, simply vanished before Christmas leaving her and her older brother Russ alone. Then he left too and she had found herself alone, to cope with her pain, to fight in a world of strangers.

_Abandoned... _how terrible that word sounded in his lips. What could be worse than _that_? The question crossed his mind and he knew the answer damn well. No matter how hard he had suffered in his life he would never hurt nor abandon Parker. He turned around and looked at the picture of his two-year-old boy behind his desk then at the picture of the girl in the file. He would do anything for her... did she know about her parents? And how could he handle such a delicate matter?

Someone knocked on his door.

"Working late Booth?" asked his boss leaning into the office.

"Yeah." he replied not too happy about the sudden intrusion.

"Seems serious stuff, uh?"

"Very."

Cullen sneaked in and took a quick glance at the files Booth had not managed to close. "That's the nun who found the body the other day, isn't she?"

"She is."

Cullen looked at him and gave him a wicked smile. "Some trouble in paradise?"

_Really don't need your bloody sarcasm on this_, thought Booth. "No, sir. Just going through some personal data for my report." He replied not convincingly.

"Right. Just make sure not to upset her Bishop. He's a tough one, believe me."

"I won't sir."

"See you tomorrow Booth."

"Good night sir."

Booth got up, lowered the blinds and locked the door. Then resumed his position at the desk.

Grabbed another page, started to read again.

Sixteen and a half... foster family in Charleston... four months... he froze, cold sweat forming on his forehead. _Sexual harrassment_ from her foster father... _beaten repeatedly_ with various blunt instruments... _locked into a trunk_ for two days! He gasped, leaned back in his chair and loosened the knot of his tie. He needed to breathe. What had she done to deserve _**that**_?

Attached to the file was a report by the physicians who had visited her and a detailed account by the psychologist: extremely introverted subject... unwilling to answer the simplest questions about her recent past... has no particular inclination for any of the "normal" activities which appeal to teenagers... shows exceptional scientific skills... if threatened she retreats back into her customary world of logic... _possibly_ affected by _a mild case of_ Asperger's Syndrome...

Booth dropped the paper and swallowed hard. Who would trust the world after the living hell she had gone through? He felt the impulse to call her, hold her, tell her that there was good in people... and then what?

He placed the files back into the folder and locked them into the drawer. He looked at his watch and paused. No matter how late it was he had to do this.

**B&B**

She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Not tonight. Restless as she felt, totally at the mercy of the inner turmoil she had hoped not to experience again. Yet here it was, tearing her apart between the spiritual needs of her soul and the strong calling of her body. She lay motionless in bed, hands along her sides, eyes closed, desperately trying to gain back the strenght to concentrate on her prayers. But as her body stirred to life, to a life she had set aside, her brain couldn't picture anything but _him. _

_The deep dark colour of his eyes... the perfection of his forms... the softness of his touch..._

Touch. Hands. Her hands moved on their own volition. She knew how to do that, relieve her urge. She stilled, intertwined her fingers and started to pray, aloud. Focusing on every single word that came out of her lips, fighting back those tempting demons.

**B&B**

"Seeley, what are you doing here?"

"Hi Rebecca, is Parker still up?"

"What?" she was puzzled. "Do you know what time it is?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at this time of night but..." - he looked at her and she saw how upset he was - "I had to see him..."

"Come in. He's in his bedroom."

"Thanks, I won't be a minute."

Booth pushed the door she had left ajar open and walked into the room. He sat on the side of the bed and stared at his sleeping angel. He reached out and gently brushed his blond curls then he got up and placed a soft kiss on his left cheek. He blinked and let the tears he couldn't hold back anymore stream down his face. God in his mercy had allowed him to perform this miracle, something he never forgot to thank _Him_ for when he went to Mass every Sunday. He wiped his eyes and left the room.

"What's wrong Seeley?" she asked when he was back in the living room.

"Nothing. I just had to see him, that's all."

She didn't push him but she knew something was troubling him.

"Thank you Rebecca." he resumed.

"What for?"

"For Parker..." he didn't have to finish his sentence.

"You were right Seeley, all the time... He really is the best of us..."

He nodded unable to speak any more.

"Would you like to stay?" she proposed.

He raised his eyes and gave her an astonished look. "It's too late for that, Bec."

**A/N: in my story there's no room for Booth and Rebecca being together like in the show. This seems just coherent with what I wrote in the beginning.**

**So, how was that? Leave a review is you liked it and even if you didn't. Honest constructuve criticism is always welcomed. Thanks for reading, Lilly**


	7. Chapter 7

**A short one, mainly dedicated to Booth's struggling with his conscience and a big decision to make. Thanks for the nice reviews on chapter 6. Enjoy the reading.**

**A/N: I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg.**

**CHAPTER 7**

Booth opened the first drawer of his desk, pulled out the folder and stared at the name printed on the cover. A name he knew so well by now. He turned the page and his eyes fell immediately on the picture of a newly graduated Temperance Brennan. It hurt him so much to look at that photo, yet he couldn't help himself. The lost girl with glassy eyes had turned into a stunning proud and self-assured young woman. She must be what? Maybe 23? And now, he presumed, 28 at the very most. _So what happened in between?_ he asked himself, his FBI investigative mind returning forcefully. Something terrible for sure to make her decide to renounce everything she must have fought so hard for. To shut herself out of the world to become a nun... He couldn't put his mind to rest because every time he closed his eyes the first image to swirl through his brain would be hers.

The perfect features of her face... The mesmerizing blue of her irises...

Days had flown by and still he hadn't made up his mind. Should he go there? And do what? Confess he'd been messing around with her life? Digging into her past? Interfering with something so private and so delicate he just didn't have the right to? And how would she react? She'd probably never forgive him! Only she would. Forgiveness had become part of her new life. He reached out and gently brushed his forefingers over the picture. He sighed and leaned back on his chair. Why was he doing this to himself? He wasn't a teenager any more.

_Just stop it for Heaven's sake!_ He ordered himself. _How can you fool yourself like that? How can you even pretend to dream about something as impossible as this?_

His cell phone rang.

"Booth." he answered. "Where? Has the team arrived yet? I'm on my way."

He put the folder back into the drawer and locked it. He got up, put on his jacket and left the Hoover heading for his SUV. As he drove along the highway his mind drifted back to the day that had changed everything, turning his already messy life into a living hell. He hadn't seen _**that**_ coming! How could he have? He simply wasn't prepared for that. Not now. He was still recovering from the blow Rebecca had inflicted on him..., struggling to find a rhythm with his son...

"So what do we have here?" he asked one of the younger officers canvasing the area around the body.

"Male, apparently middle-aged, no finger prints, sir."

"And what the hell is this supposed to be? An amusement park or something?" he suddenly burst out. "What are all these people doing round here taking pictures of a dead body? Let them step behind the damn tape. I bet the crime scene has been compromised already. Shit! Can't wait to have my freaking ass kicked by the ME. But before he does I'll make sure to have yours kicked first," he threatened, drilling his eyes into the young man's who shrank into his uniform.

_Jeez Seeley what's wrong with you? _He heard his conscience yell at him. _Trying to vent your frustration on someone else will do you no good. Man up!_

B&B

No way he could go to bed so wound up, Booth thought stepping onto the shooting range. He took off his jacket, rolled his sleeves up and put on his hearing protection. He loaded his gun, found his usual stance, shoulders square to the target and arms stretched out, aimed at the human silhouette paper target and fired. Even under pressure Special Agent Seeley Joseph Booth was undoubtedly one of the best. Ranger or sniper, it didn't matter. He simply never missed. He replaced the target, setting it at the maximum distance the shooting lane would allow, pulled out his right hand, aimed and fired again. The third clip he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and empted all the rounds again. He felt lighter. He had managed to get rid of some of the stress he had accumulated during the day.

When he left the shooting range it was getting dark outside. But the night was going to be nice and he decided to leave his car. The place he was heading to was not that far and the walk would help him clear his mind a little bit more. He went up the steps and pushed the door open to enter the church. He dipped his fingers into the Holy Water and crossed himself. He walked in and sat in one of the front benches facing the altar. He raised his eyes and stared at the man on the Cross. He felt so ashamed of himself he couldn't bear to look at him.

"Forgive me Father for I do not deserve your mercy." he whispered.

For the first time he had not attended Mass the Sunday before, but he was sure his confessor would have him recite a couple of Hail Marys and Our Fathers and grant him absolution. However he didn't have the courage to go to the confessional and admit to the mortal sin that was crushing his heart.

"Oh Lord," he asked, his eyes filling, "I know I'm a sinner and I've offended you in so many way. I'm willing to stand whatever punishment you might give to me. But why _her_? Hasn't she suffered enough? I...don't understand...why...you are testing her…, us..., now…."

Then he remembered a line from James he had heard during a Homily a few weeks before...

_God blesses those who patiently endure Testing and Temptation. Afterward they will receive the Crown of Life that God has promised to those who love Him._

"What Crown? Oh God this is killing me! I can't sleep, can't rest...,and I've never desired any other woman the way I desire her. I'll be excommunicated and I won't be able to come here any more. I can't go on living like this... Tomorrow I will go and speak to her... I have to, and I'll accept, my Lord, _her_ will, because that'll be _Your_ will too."

**A/N: Curious to learn what "tomorrow" will bring to the story? You won't have to wait long because I'm posting the next chapter on Sunday. Thanks for reading, Lilly**


	8. Chapter 8

**As I promised here is chapter 8. Booth has decided to go to the Jeffersonian and talk to Brennan. Enjoy the reading. **

**A/N: I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg.**

**CHAPTER 8**

"Amazing isn't it?"

Booth was startled back to reality and turned towards the voice on his side.

"Very" he answered staring at the tall, black, elegant man standing next to him. He wasn't sure whether his answer was referred to the incredible atmosphere which surrounded the long hallway called Limbo or to the image of _her_ intent on her work which was stamped indelibly on his mind.

The two men paused, attentively studying each other for a long moment.

"Agent Booth, right?"

"Yes."

"I'm Dr. Daniel Goodman, the Director of the Jeffersonian," he said offering his hand. "We didn't meet the other day. I was out of town working on an exhibition. So, you've met our Dr. Brennan?" he asked as if calling her like that was the most normal thing in the world.

Booth nodded.

"She's such an extraordinary person and a valuable asset to our Institution. She's been collaborating with us for several months now, and her expertise has helped us identify a considerable number of skeletons from different periods of time."

Booth noticed how the man's eyes shone with pride as he spoke about her. "She truly is," he replied.

Since their first encounter at the convent he had found it hard to focus on anything that wasn't her but since he had opened that file he couldn't get those pieces from her past out of his mind. They were torturing his soul, making him restless and unable to sleep. He had to do something for her but he wasn't sure what. He belonged to a world which wasn't hers anymore. What right did he have to intrude on her life?

"You have come to see her?" inquired Goodman, drilling his eyes into Booth's, sensing how uncomfortable the younger man seemed.

"I have to talk to her," Booth answered.

"She was about to leave, but I think you will still find her in her office, over there, in front of the Forensic Platform."

"Thank you Dr. Goodman. It's been a pleasure."

"Have a good day, Agent Booth," Goodman replied, leaving.

Booth walked to Brennan's office. The door was open, and he stilled by the entrance. _God help me do this right, _he pleaded. _help me not to scare her_. He knocked on the door jam. She turned and saw him. His eyes locked on hers and that was enough to light up that spark again. Wordlessly he moved towards her, then stopped to avoid invading her personal space.

"I...I had to see you..." he started. She held his gaze and he was absolutely powerless before her.

He felt the strong, mysterious force which pulled his body to hers, regardless of the religious habit she was wearing. _God forgive me, _he thought closing his eyes. "I haven't been able to rest," he confessed honestly. "Not a single night since..."

"I know."

He was flabbergasted. A myriad of questions floated through his mind. He wanted to move toward her, take her in his arms, hold her close, feel the taste of her lips...

_Oh Jesus, _he said to himself, _I'll be damned_.

She took a deep breath and sighed, never diverting her eyes from his.

"I have been working here, in Limbo, for a while now. This is the only place of the world I once belonged to that I have allowed myself in. My former self would have been at ease surrounded by people who rely on science, facts, logic and reason. But that doesn't belong to me anymore. I have found a new self who rejoices in helping others, who can bring peace to those who had no hopes...," she paused and memories from her past rushed into her mind. She swallowed hard and pushed them back so she was able to go on speaking. "Giving a name and a face to the poor remains which were abandoned and left unburied and bringing them back to their loved ones fills my soul with great joy as I fulfill our Lord's perfect will. I have divested myself of every worldly affection. All I want right now is to please God..."

"**You're lying!**" he let out, stepping close to her. "How can you say that? When you know how much you've been struggling? Fighting what's hidden deep down? You cannot hide that from me. I know that struggle. I can see it in your eyes, and you can see it in mine too..."

She lowered her gaze to her waist and took hold of the cord circling her body. "Do you know what these three knots symbolize?"

He looked at her in astonishment because he knew what was about to come.

"Each knot represents one of the evangelical counsels: _P__overty..., Obedience...,_" - he closed his eyes as if by doing so he would not hear that last word - _"and Chastity... _this earthly body does not belong to anyone but to **Him. **He will help me through _**this**_ as he has done before. No more physical pain for a life of spiritual joy."

"You think you can save your soul by mortifying your body? But you know, because you do, that you won't be able to do that. **Look at me...**" - his eyes filled and his vision was starting to blur, "and tell me you don't feel what I feel for you, that I have to let you go."

Her silence was her only answer for a long time. They simply held each other's gaze as tears streamed down his face.

"I'm taking my vows," she finally said, placing her hand on the silver cross on her chest.

**A/N: I know... another cliffhanger. I like to keep up the tension between B&B. There is definitely more to come in the next two chapters. Thanks for reading. And for reviewing, your opinion is important. Lilly**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Here is chapter 9. Another part of Brennan's painful past is about to unfold. I do not intend to upset anybody nor do I mean to offend any religion, especially mine. I am a Catholic, though not a fanatic one. The phrases I put into Brennan's mouth and mind are very much "hers" as a scientist and hyper rational character. What intrigues me is the dynamic of the story, the possibility of evolution, the way characters react to suffering and "second chances". Feel free to leave if you think this is too harsh, stay with me if you're curious to find out more about this story. Enjoy the reading and review. I love to hear your opinions on this.**

**A/N:I do not own Bones. Father Gabriel and the Mother Superior belong to my imagination.**

**Thank you Gregg.**

**CHAPTER 9**

It was so dark and she was so cold. Not because of the pouring rain drenching her to the skin but because of the chill she felt in her heart. She stared down at the tumultuous waters. It would be so easy to let herself fall and be embraced by the stormy waves... and be no more. She felt so weak and she was tired of fighting... she would die alone, as she had lived so far. From up there, she reckoned, her skeleton would never survive the impact. Her body would be carried away by the raging stream and probably would never be found..., or maybe...

Suddenly she felt as if fire had landed on her and she turned to her right side, to look at the hand touching her on the shoulder, and she saw him dressed in his brown cowl and almost bare feet, a white cord around his waist. A strong, mysterious aura surrounded his face...

"Come, my child," was all he said.

The powerful force that emanated from the old man made her step away from the brink of the bridge and she followed him without a word. She had never believed in _Fate. _It was so _ludicrous _a concept which belonged to the sphere of irrationality she had never allowed her hyper-analytical mind to even consider. Yet, how could she rationalize what was happening to her? How could she explain that in the _direst_ moment of her life **this** man had come to her, out of the blue, to drag her away from her inner storm?

She found herself sitting in what she thought must be his cell, almost as humble as the man himself, for there were only two chairs, a small wooden table by the plain wall with an old Bible whose corners had been consumed by time and reading. On the other side of the tiny room a simple bed with a dark grey wool blanket and a crucifix hung on the wall. The place was poorly lit by a lamp and the gloomy light filtering from the only window below the ceiling.

She felt uncomfortable at first. What was she possibly doing in this place? With a person so utterly different from her? One thing she had always been proud of had been her capacity to be simply the best in her studies and later in her professional field thus rising above the mediocrity in life she abhorred. Though she had studied religions from an anthropological point of view she had rejected any form of spiritual beliefs. As far as she was concerned she had come to see organized religion as a tool to subjugate the masses of weak, illiterate and naïve populations scattered around the world and priests, well... But _this_ man... never stopped looking at her... never broke eye contact... and there was something in his eyes her knowledge could not comprehend. Wrapped in the blanket he had given her to dry her freezing body all she could do was stare back at him. She felt his strong gaze penetrate through the thick layers of imperviousness she had built around herself, stripping her soul bare to its very essence. She couldn't stand the weight of her grieving any longer and gave him a desperate look.

"Show me where it hurts." he asked calmly.

Instinctively she brought her hand to her chest feeling the wild thundering beat of her heart. Why had she done that? How on earth would a pump feel pain? Yet, in that very moment, it was as if someone had reached into her and squeezed her heart dry.

"Let the grief out." he invited, his tone low and gentle.

She took a deep breath then let the air out, slowly, and as she closed her eyes painful memories started to sweep in from her past..., her mind narrating for her the events that tormented her so much.

"_Temperance I want you to come to the dig as my … **partner**. You've been my best student, you're smart, you're awkward and you get so ridiculously funny when you don't understand the simplest joke and you are so... **damn sexy**... you don't have a clue what you can do to a man, do you?" _he said pulling me in his arms,pressing his body close to mine. "C_an you just **feel** what you do to me?"_

"_Yes, Michael," _I whispered. He pulled me even closer and I felt... Never, ever, had a man been so close to me. His scent was intoxicating... I was amazed and terrified by the way my body reacted to his. To his hands undressing me... touching me...

"_Tell me you want this, too, Temperance," _his voice was husky with desire.

"_I... do," _I heard my voice tremble. And then he was inside me.

"_Oh Temperance, baby... I didn't know you...had never...am I the first?"_

"_You are."_

For the first time I felt special not because of my abilities, but because of my whole self... I felt cherished... and desired... When we weren't at the excavation site we were in his bed, and he was my teacher again...

"_Come on baby...let yourself go... Put that brilliant brain of yours at rest and give it all to me..."_

I did. I let all my defenses down and trusted him. I believed I'd be safe and sound in his arms, and I was so in love, so totally, utterly in love... I thought I had finally found the one for me, the one I could _trust_, and somehow being in love made me feel so strong I thought could handle anything...

I couldn't have been more wrong...

"_Listen Temperance something urgent has just popped up... You go ahead with the rest of the team... I won't be long, I promise."_

"_I can wait for you Michael. Really, I don't mind..."_

"_No way, baby, it's your birthday. Remember? Booze and fun? Maybe you're getting a huge surprise? A stripper?" _

"_You're silly, I don't need such things... All I want is you..."_

"_I love you Temperance. Just give me half an hour, ok?"_

"_OK."_

What could be so urgent to keep him that long I said to myself after more than an hour? I opened the door of our lodging and froze. I blinked, looking toward the bed again. I couldn't breathe... My vision started to blur... Was it really him, or was it some kind of beast? Because the way he was taking her and what he was telling her... He turned around and saw me. He didn't even care to stop... He gave me a mocking grin and was back on her... I closed the door... I left the dig. I don't remember how I came back home. I cried most of the time till my eyes were dry, and I had no more tears to shed. I was like a stone. As a scientist I had always believed logic and reason would make me feel safe against the blows of life... I had already experienced pain and abandon. I could get over this... Forget all about him and start all over again... Only...

The man kept looking at her and didn't say a word. Brennan felt as if they were both suspended in time and space... and she realized that she had spoken aloud what her mind had been narrating for her as if words on a page. She continued, but this time knowing she was speaking aloud.

"I heard pounding on my door... it was late and I was so worn out... and I let him in. I could have kept my door shut... but I didn't..."

"_'What are you doing here?' _I asked him."

"_'Can't your fucking brain figure that out?'_ He snapped."

"_'I don't know what you're talking about,' _I said."

"_Oh, you don't?" _

"I gave him a puzzled look."

"_How dare you walk out on me, huh? So smart and kick-ass to just shove my stuff into a plastic bag and leave it in my apartment." _

"_It's over Michael. We have nothing to discuss. Now, please, leave. I have to get up early tomorrow and..."_

"_And? You're not going anywhere, Dr. Temperance Brennan."_

"He grabbed me by the arms and it was then I could smell his breath."

"_You're drunk!"_

"_What if I am?"_

"_'You're disgusting!' _I spat at his face. '_Let me go, you're hurting me.'"_

"_'Oh, baby...,' _he went onwith a sarcastic tone.' _Don't you like it rough? I bet it turned you on to see what I was doing to that bitch...' _He pushed his hips forward to let me feel his arousal. I pulled back. He drilled his diabolical eyes into mine and there it was again. That same look I had seen that day entering our lodging. A beast. And I was his prey."

"_I am not a bitch. You know that."_

"_Oh you all are..., even if you pretend... I bet you're wet just thinking about me going wild like that..."_

"_'I am not Michael.' _I really wasn't. '_Please release me,' _I asked again. Without a word he ripped my clothes off. Then he freed himself just where he needed. I found myself cornered on the floor."

"_Come on you little bitch, tell me you want this too."_

"_'You bastard!'_ I told him with contempt. I saw his fist get so close to my face and then everything blurred."

"_Oh I see... You like to play with the devil..."_

"At that he flipped me around and..."

Brennan shivered and tried to pull herself away, instinctively, as if she had to protect her body from the painful assault once again. She felt the warm, reassuring touch of the man's palm on hers and she relaxed. She continued her story.

"I have been hurt before... So many times... but that time...what he did to me... the way he took my body... cursing and grunting..."

"_'A full treat! You're never gonna forget this..., Dr. Brennan!' _Were his last words as I felt dead inside..."

There was a long pause. Silence could be so meaningful. Then the man spoke.

"Like Our Savior you have been abandoned and betrayed by those you believed in the most. Like _**Him**_you have walked your way to the cross, you have been crucified by the blows of your life and you've lost all hope," he paused. "But you are not meant to die Temperance. That is not Our Lord's plan for you..."

She was in shock. How could he possibly know her name? _Obviously enough_, she thought, _he must have seen her somewhere in town, a lecture, perhaps, but then again wouldn't she remember him if she had encountered him dressed like _**that**_? And was that relevant right now?_ Her head was so heavy and dizzy, she had to stop thinking or she would go mad.

"I don't believe in God. I'm an atheist."

"You will. In time. At first you will seek a life of solitude and prayer. You will come to accept your suffering, and you will learn to change what seems bitter into sweetness. There is another form of love, the highest, purest love we can long for. A spiritual love with God. And through his love you will find peace. The Lord will make _you_ an instrument of _His will _to bring peace to the unknown..."

And he was silent again.

Suddenly Brennan felt the warmth of the man's touch turn into heat and spread through every fiber of her body, reaching down, deeper, until her whole being was filled with a strong sense of peace, coming finally to rest. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't find any logical explanation for what was happening to her. And as she realized that struggling to understand would make her suffer even more. She chose to simply let go and just...feel.

She looked at the man and what she saw her logical mind found it impossible to explain. His countenance looked almost transfigured and he was all beaming with a light that seemed unreal. A light that was guiding her toward the end of the darkest lane she had ever walked along.

"I don't even know your name" she said.

"I am Gabriel." he replied.

= o =

Brennan wiped off the tears that had streamed down her face. While the painful memories of her recent past quickly faded away she let herself feel whole again with the beauty of the creation's wonder surrounding her. The pure, peaceful pond where her favorite flowers reflected themselves, the glimmering dewdrops kissed by the early morning sun, the graceful dance two butterflies performed in the air... Nothing was casual in what her eyes could see and _now_ she was aware of that. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. A vision of blessed peace burst upon her and her hands could sense the thundering beat of her heart slowing down, coming finally to a normal pace.

"I knew I'd find you here." she heard.

Brennan opened her eyes and saw the Mother Superior sitting beside her on the wooden bench.

**A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks to all the readers for the great response to the previous chapters and the nice reviews. I should be able to post the next part soon. Lilly**


	10. Chapter 10

**Dear readers around the world here is chapter 10. Still AU. Brennan's terrible past has unfolded and now she has to make a decision. Not an easy one though. The Mother Superior has come to talk to her. Enjoy the conversation and let me know your opinion on this. **

**A/N.: I want to thank you for the great response to this story. It started slowly but now I see more and more readers are curious to find out what my imagination comes up with. And thank you to everyone who reviewed so far. Your nice words and comments have made my day. **

**A/N.: I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg as always. **

**CHAPTER 10**

"I have fallen into mortal sin, Mother," confessed Brennan, lowering her gaze, ashamed. "I gave myself to the service of God. I was willing to be _his_, totally devoted to _Him. _But now, I'm not sure anymore. I feel my will vacillate..." She paused, then looked at the woman sitting next to her. "**He** has showed me the light when I was lost in darkness. Has given me peace when all I had was pain and suffering. Has helped me find a new self when I wanted to die..." She was silent again as if by doing so she could let the Mother Superior see the storm she had survived thanks to the healing hand of God. "And I've been ungrateful, so unworthy of his love..."

The Reverend Mother took Brennan's hands and gave her a comforting smile.

"My child," she began. "How can you ever believe yourself to be ungrateful? How can _we _possibly forget what you have done for us, for our community? Look at this park. Six years ago when you arrived it was a beautiful piece of land... Now you can feel our Lord's breath in every single plant you've added. The shape you've given to the landscape reminds us constantly of _His_ grace, the grace _He_'s given to your hands... Your generosity has helped so many children to find a better place to live, to study in. To truly become better human beings... I know..., I've always known..., how you've struggled..., all these years. Fighting with what you've hidden deep down, unseen to many, but not to me. I know that struggle..."

Brennan raised her glassy eyes, puzzled.

"I've been there, too, Temperance."

The older woman took a deep breath and turned her head towards the rising sun. She sighed, and paused, letting the memories drift back into her mind.

"We were so young," she resumed. "And full of hopes. So happy. So lost in each other. How could two people be that happy and so self-absorbed when others just suffered? I was unaware of the destiny that was about to unfold for me... For us. He was a doctor... A good one. Committed to life, to saving lives... But he couldn't save his..."

She paused and tears filled her eyes. She swallowed hard and her gaze darkened as she pulled, from deep within, the strength to go on with her story. To relive the pain she had never forgotten.

Brennan _knew_ what was about to come, and as she was helpless against her own tears, she simply let them fall silently once more down her cheeks.

"There was a robbery while he was buying this...," she reached inside her pocket, pulling out a small, blue, velvet box and handed it over. "He had just bought this for me. For something that was not meant to be. Not for us."

They lapsed into silence again.

"I died with him that day. I knew I would never, ever, love any other man the way I had loved him. There could be no one else but _him_ in my life. So I decided to give myself to the highest form of love. Heavenly marriage with our Lord."

The two women looked at each other.

"But you, Temperance? You have been given a second chance. With life. With love. No matter how hard you fight, you'll have to face this. _**He**_," she said, caressing the silver cross on her chest, "has a different plan for you. You have a higher purpose in life, my child. You are meant to give a name to those unknown dead. To help families to ease their pain and cry on a tomb, though not in vain as so many have had to. God, in his infinite mercy, has given you this great gift. To help others find the peace they need to carry on."

"But Mother," Brennan said, never losing eye contact. "I can do that while working in Limbo, _**and**_ staying here."

The Mother Superior never diverted her gaze and she could sense the emotional turmoil the younger woman was going through. She was aware that the rational, but scared Temperance Brennan she had welcomed to her convent was back before her so she remained silent to encourage her to let out what was hurting her.

"Mother," Brennan said after a long pause. "I have suffered too much. I don't want to hurt anymore... I couldn't possibly survive _that_ again, and I am so afraid. But...,"

"... you feel this man is different. You can see love in his eyes. _**True**_ love," the Mother Superior said.

Brennan nodded.

"Our infinitely gracious Lord is showing you that earthly love exists, Temperance, and he has allowed you to find it in the eyes of this man. In the words he has spoken to you. In the gentleness of his touch. You have doubts. You are vacillating. You are going back to life. To a life where joy struggles with pain. Where good and bad are the air we breathe. I cannot promise there won't be any more suffering for you, but God knows the depths of our souls, and he knows _his_ too or **He **would have never sent _him_ to you. Not now. There is good in him. I have seen it in his eyes, and I can tell he has been through a lot of pain, as well. But his soul is pure, and he will not hurt you. Look into your heart, and what you will find there will show you the way."

"I need time to reflect Reverend Mother. About my destiny... about all this. But I cannot do it here. I have to be alone and sort things out. You understand, don't you?"

The Mother Superior nodded.

"The Almighty has never abandoned you Temperance. You have never been alone when you crossed the darkest valley of your life, and he has carried you in his arms when you were unable to walk. He will help you make the right decision once again. Do not be afraid."

She opened her arms to invite her in. Brennan slipped in the warmth of her embrace and felt so light and peaceful, like a child who finds comfort and love in her mother's arms.

"How can I deserve this?" Brennan asked between sobs.

"My dear child, you will always be in my prayers, and I will be happy whatever road you decide to follow because I know it will be the one our Lord has shown you."

**A/N.: how did you like this? there is obviously more to come in the following parts. Stay with me if you're curious to discover where I'm heading to. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Lilly**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11, back to Booth's side of the story after two chapters dedicated to Brennan's past. Booth is trying to cope with Brennan's decision but things are pretty hard. And something terrible is about to unfold. If you're curious read on and enjoy. **

**A/N: I'd like to thank you for the great response to this story, the beautiful words of your reviews and for reading my FF. **

**A/N: Thanks Gregg. **

**CHAPTER 11**

"Daddy!" yelled an enthusiastic Parker.

"Hey buddy, having fun?" asked Booth.

"Oh yeah." said the child.

Booth looked at the two-year-old blond curly boy smiling at him from the merry-go-round and he felt his heart swell in his chest. By now _that_ was the only thing which brought joy to his life, that kept him going on and survive. Day after day he had tried to understand, to figure out why he had been shown a beam of sunshine before being thrown back into darkness. Why God had made _them_ encounter when **He** knew they were not meant to be.

But how weren't they meant to be if they both felt shattering inside whenever they were close to each other? If the first image that would form in his mind when he woke up and the last one when he went to sleep every day was _her_ face?

And why the last words she had said still cut like a knife?

As a man he found it impossible to understand why he had to be condamned to rejection, why he was destined to spend the rest of his life alone when he had so much love to give... however, as a Catholic all he could do was to accept her decision because that was God's will. Even if it had torn his heart in two.

The flashback of that day burst into his brain and he relived the moment when he had entered the church again, had lit a candle and kneeled in front of the altar, stared at the Man on the Cross, then at the statue of the Virgin with her Child.

_I beg you Holy Mother... let her be happy... and in peace with you. _

He had cried all his pain out, face buried in his hands, until the very last tear had rolled down his cheeks and he had no more to shed.

_If this is Your will God... so be it. But please_ - he had finally said looking up at the Crucifix - _help me out of this misery. _

"You have a wonderful kid." a feminine voice said beside him bringing him back to reality.

Booth turned and smiled at the young woman. "Thank you - he replied - which one is yours?"

"The one on the white horse, right in front of your beautiful little angel" she stated truthfully.

"She's adorable, how old is she already? Four?"

"Yeah, four and a half."

"I adore girls, they're so cute and sweet."

" I guess your wife might want to give a little sister to your boy soon?"

Booth's eyes darkened and the woman senses she had said something wrong.

"I am not... married. His mother and I... - he stuttered - " she... we are not... together anymore." He finally admitted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're still so young... you'll find the right one for you." she added.

He simply stared at her unable to answer as he was.

B&B

The first thing Booth saw when he crossed the threshold of his boss' office hit him hard, and he froze. It was unmistakable. _She's back_ he thought, his heart skipping a beat.

"Booth, please come on in," invited Cullen.

At his words the woman sitting in front of the desk turned to face him.

"Reverend Mother!" Booth exclaimed.

"Agent Booth," - she greeted him - "it's been a while. How are you?" she asked him, truly concerned.

"I'm... doing just fine," he answered, but he couldn't avoid the slight change of color in his countenance as he kept eye contact with the woman.

She knew just by looking at his reaction that, no matter how much time had elapsed, the man had not gotten over _her_. He was coping. That was plain enough for her to see, and her heart shrank at the thought of what she was about to tell him.

"Is... everything... alright at the convent?" he asked her, sensing something mustn't be since she was in D.C., here at the Hoover.

"Sit down, Booth," said Cullen.

"I'd rather not sir."

_Now, this doesn't sound good_ he thought. He felt the tension in the air and didn't like the serious gaze on his boss' face. He couldn't stand the weight of the silence which was pressing down on him, killing him. His senses were on full alert, the adrenaline was raging in his veins, just like when he was on a mission. _Oh God please_ he found himself begging, turning his eyes unconsciously to the ceiling. He pushed aside the heart crushing thought that had formed in his mind and looked at the woman beside him. "Not another body, I hope?"

She shook her head and remained silent.

"I know my team made quite a mess of your land, but it had to be done. You know we had to make sure there were no other remains buried there. I'm sure... Sister Temperance... must have turned the piece of land into a beautiful orchard by now," he said. How sweet her name sounded on his lips and he stiffened as a shiver ran through his spine at the image of her surrounded by the golden daffodils near the pond.

The Mother Superior never stopped looking at the man standing next to her. She knew he had fought on dangerous missions, far away from his country, for his country. He had survived the Hell he had experienced. His scars had mostly healed, eventually. But the struggle he was facing inside, now, was shattering his soul. She could feel it. She simply knew it. And she could do nothing to relieve his pain. One thing only was she sure of: she was going to make him suffer even more.

"The ground is still as you left it...," she paused.

Booth gave her a puzzled look. "How's that?" he inquired. "Is it because of the corpse? Or...," _ God __Help Me_,_ "_something's happened to _her_? She's ill?" he asked, his heart beat defeaning him.

"She's missing," was all she said.

**A/N: I know, another cliff-hanger. Just some more tension. How about a little contest? Public congrats to the reviewer who guesses where Brennan is. **

**Thanks for reading, Lilly**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here is another chapter. Booth is about to discover where Brennan is. And things seem to get complicated. The story is still mainly AU. **

**A/N: Thanks to all the readers for the great response to the story and for the nice reviews. As for my little contest... nobody guessed, but congrats to EowynGoldberry who got really close. **

**A/N: I do not own Bones. **

**Thank you Gregg.**

**CHAPTER 12**

"What do you mean, _she's missing_?"

The Mother Superior looked at Booth whose body had stiffened at her words, his fists closed so tight she could see the white of the bones underneath the skin, his jaw set, his eyes dark like a stormy sky.

"How can she be missing from the convent?" he inquired trying to stay calm.

"She was not at the convent."

"Where _was_ she then?" he insisted.

"She left a few weeks ago..."

"Left? But...," - he gulped - "She told me... she was going to take her vows!" he exclaimed.

"She didn't..." - then digging her eyes into his - "She _couldn't,_" the woman declared.

Booth's heart just stopped, and he was sure his lungs stopped breathing, too. The Mother Superior saw his face lose all its color and she feared he was going to pass out right in front of them.

"Mr. Cullen? Would you mind?" she asked him politely.

"Not at all. I'll leave you the room, Mother."

"Come sit next to me, my son," she invited when they were alone. Booth took a chair and sat down facing her. She took his hands, giving him a gentle smile.

"There's something you should know, Agent Booth, about her...," she began, recounting the first time she had seen Temperance Brennan. A beautiful, smart, scared, and very lost twenty-three-year-old young woman who had faced the brink of her abyss. How they had looked at each other for what had seemed an eternity, with no words necessary to explain what their hearts already knew. How she had cried in her arms like a child would do seeking comfort at her mother's breast. The sweet, soothing words of love and hope she had whispered till her sobs had finally ceased and she had stilled in her embrace. She told him of the miraculous encounter between Temperance and Friar Gabriel, six years before, leaving aside the most painful details she simply knew would only hurt him more. "He has a special place in her heart, you know?"

"I know," he nodded. Even if the woman had skipped some facts his trained mind understood, straightaway, what horrible events had led her to that bridge, why she had flinched at his every touch. He shivered. His eyes welled and his vision started to blur.

"He called her. _**He **_needed her help. She would never say no. It's not the first time. She's been there before, three years ago, to help him build the school in our mission."

"A mission?" he asked, astonished. "Where _exactly_ is she?"

"El Salvador."

"What? There was an earthquake four days ago. There have been hundreds of casualties. Why didn't you call me before? It could be too...," but he didn't have the courage to finish his sentence.

"My son I have tried my best to contact her, Gabriel, and his convent... But that didn't work. Not this time. Now _**I **_need _**your**_ help," - she said, holding his hands firmly - "_**She**__... __**they**_... need your help. Please, bring them back."

"I will, Mother. I will."

B&B

"You OK, sir?" asked the young doctor sitting next to Booth who was fastening his safety belt.

"Fine. I just need to close my eyes a while and focus on what I have to do once we get there."

"Is this your first mission?"

"No," replied Booth. "I've been in Hell before. You?"

"Honduras, last year. How about you?"

"Afghanistan. Twice. And Iraq."

"I see," the doctor replied solemnly.

As the plane took off Booth closed his eyes and sighed. Two hours. That was all the time he had had to pack his bag and rush to the airport. Not even the time to kiss his little boy goodbye. His heart heavy like a stone, he had called Rebecca.

"_What the hell are you going to El Salvador for? The place is a mess! Why do they need an FBI agent there?"_

"_We're going to rescue some American citizens Rebecca. Three men and two women. From a Franciscan mission. They've been missing for a few days. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come and say goodbye, Bec. I'll call you right? Will you give Park a hug for me, please?"_

"_I will Seeley. Just... be careful, alright?"_

"_Ok. I have to go. We'll be leaving in half an hour, Rebecca."_

After the Mother Superior had left, Cullen had quickly briefed him on the mission.

"_I've made a couple of phone calls... There's a flight leaving in two hours from New York. A Doctors Without Borders' team is going to set up some mobile clinics with surgical units to reach people trapped in the most devastated areas. A helicopter will take you to JFK in an hour. Once you get there you'll find some trained men and vehicles waiting for you. This is the quickest I could do Booth."_

"_I understand, Sir. Thank you."_

"_Now go get ready. And Booth...," he said, giving him a serious look. "I'll see you soon, right? You're one of our best and I need you back. Is that clear?"_

"_Loud and clear sir."_

"You dozed off," said the young doctor when Booth opened his eyes again. "That's good."

"Yeah," sighed Booth, trying to stretch his legs. "Thank God I did. I guess we all need to be at our best right now."

"You believe?"

"I do," Booth nodded.

"Well..., it makes you wonder where God was when this happened...," the Doctor thought aloud, gesturing out the window as they approached Comalapa airport near San Salvador.

Booth looked out of the window and was struck dumb. He had seen war. The results of bombing. The mess made by human folly. But what his eyes were seeing now, for the first time, was unbelievable. From up there it was almost surreal to see the scars the earthquake had inflicted on this part of the world. The deep cuts the land bore randomly. The poor buildings crumbled down as if tumbled over precariously balanced houses of cards. He thought about the thousands of people buried under tons of rubble. Corpses who would probably remain unknown. And his mind flew to _her... _Was she in danger? Was she still alive among all this devastation? He clenched his fists and swallowed hard. He had made a promise and he would do anything to bring her back. No matter what.

**A/N: Did you like it? Things will get definitely more complicated in the upcoming chapters. Stay with me if you're curious to find out more about the story. Thanks for reading. Lilly**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here is chapter 13. I do not intend to offend nor upset anyone, especially my readers in El Salvador. All the places I describe in this story actually exist, El Salvador, like many other countries in Central America, has been hit by natural disasters, just like my own country. As you already know this story deals with feelings, pain and suffering, the way people react to the blows of life, hope and second chances. I chose all the names of the religious characters and of the geographical places because of their strong meaning in the story. Do not forget this is just fiction, reality is much worse, we all know that. Enjoy the reading.**

**I would like to thank all the readers for the great response to this story and the nice reviews I got so far.**

**I do not own Bones. **

**Thank you Gregg.**

**Chapter 13**

As they drove toward San Vicente Booth realized how badly the area they were crossing had been hit by the forces of nature. In all the villages they encountered only the most recent buildings were still fully visible, and though compromised they had managed not to crumble down burying everyone that was inside. The poorer houses made of mud and stones, however, had not survived the terrible quake and its following shakes. International troops and rescuers were already there, camps were being organized, medical units could be seen almost everywhere, as well as people digging with bare hands, together with soldiers using shovels, desperately trying to find someone still alive after four days.

"Holy crap!" exclaimed Corporal Carter, the Army Driver, as they entered a small village halfway along the route. "I swear, Sir, I have been to Iraq, have seen war, but this..."

No words could express what their eyes were seeing. A large portion of the hill overlooking the village had slid down and an avalanche of mud, trees and stones had covered most of the houses under its brown blanket of death. Only a few heaps of debris remained of the humble shelters which stood on both sides of the huge landslide. A team of rescuers with trained sniffer dogs were searching the whole area; medics and paramedics were frantically taking care of the injured while soldiers put up a tent camp in a nearby field. By the main road a long line of corpses of different sizes, some covered with white sheets, waited to be loaded on a truck. They slowed down and watched helplessly the heart-crushing scene of a mother who just wouldn't hand over the small bundle that once was her child to one of the paramedics. Her cries pierced the air and she clung desperately to the poor remains covered with mud as if her life depended on them.

Booth and his companions stared at each other, unable to speak. The scene looked like a nightmare none of them was able to get rid of. Booth's mind flew to a part of his recent past.

"_... my faith was shaken," _he recalled telling his confessor after his last mission in Afghanistan. "_Why do innocents have to die? Why women and children, Father?"_

There had been a long pause.

"_My son, we cannot comprehend God's divine plan for humanity," _had replied the old priest. _"All we have is our faith in him and our prayers. Let us pray together Seeley. Do not lose your faith."_

Nevertheless Booth felt his faith shake once again. All he could do was to close his eyes and pray. His faith had survived the strongest blows life had generously inflicted on him and he knew that somehow he would get through _this_ once again. He prayed for his little boy, safe at home, for the poor woman whose child had been separated from her too soon, for those still unburied around the ravaged country and his mind was immediately driven to _her._ Because no matter how desperately he had tried not to think about it she was there, by him, every single moment of his life. He pushed aside the thought of not being able to find her in this mess. _**He had to**_, and not only because of the promise he had made. His heart had never beaten so wildly before. The depths he had seen in her eyes were the ocean he was willing to drown in. He wanted to relieve her of the pain she had gone through. To show her how much he could love her. Prove to her he would do _anything _for her, to let her be happy again.

"Sir?" he heard coming from the driver's seat.

"Yeah?"

"We're almost there, Sir."

"Another two more miles, Carter, on the other side of the town," was all Booth said following directions from the GPS. Only two more painful miles separated him from her.

**B&B**

It was growing dark when they finally reached the convent.

"Let's go check this place out." - Said Sommers turning to Booth and Carter. "Doctor, you'd better stay on the APC. We won't be long." he added looking at the other two men on the truck.

"OK." Replied the young doctor and the paramedic who had been assigned to their squad.

Booth, Sommers and Carter got out of the Armored Personnel Carrier and stopped by the entrance. The convent looked deserted. They gave the façade and the tile roof a quick inspection. Apart from some cracks on the walls the old building seemed to have survived the terrible quake almost intact. However, Lt. Sommers carefully pushed the door open before they entered. They went through all the rooms and met no one. Not a human soul could be seen around.

"Sir, there must be still someone living here," said Carter from the kitchen, sniffing a few bowls, one of which contained some milk on the bottom. "This is fresh." he went on. Vegetables had also been left on the table together with a clean knife as if everything had been neatly prepared to make a meal.

"Of course!" exclaimed Booth looking at his watch.

"Excuse me, sir?" asked the lieutenant joining them.

"It's time for the evening prayers. Let's go."

They crossed the yard and walked into the small church. Booth quickly scanned the place and could spot about fifteen people, with three Franciscans including the Friar who was celebrating Mass while the rest were women and children. Booth could detect terror in the children's lost faces. The smaller ones clung to their mothers' necks while the others stood still, as if petrified by the tragedy they had witnessed. The friar stopped and looked at the three men in military uniforms standing by the door. Everybody turned then looked back at the man on the altar. The celebrant resumed his speech. Booth studied attentively the whole place and the people gathered there to pray. _She_ was nowhere to be found and his heart shrank in his chest. His investigative mind started to speculate and he found himself miles away from the liturgy. _Five_, he had been told, there should be five missionaries at the convent. He could spot three. There was only _one_ nun and it definitely wasn't her. And none of the friars was old enough to be Gabriel.

_So where were they? And what happened to the two of them?_

He felt impatient. This would be the fifth day since she'd gone missing. Way too long.

_Come on, get a grip!_ he said to himself. _No use getting carried away like that..._

The Mass was over. The Friar didn't move. Booth walked toward him and stilled by the altar. The Franciscan joined him, but didn't say a word.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth from the FBI, out of Washington, D.C. I was sent here to rescue Sister Temperance, Father Gabriel and three other Franciscan missionaries, but I can't see her anywhere around here."

"Do you know her?" asked the man giving him a queried look.

"I do." replied Booth.

"The last time we saw her was Friday. She and Father Gabriel left in the early morning. He had received a call from Brother Benjamin of our convent in San Miguel the evening before. Five bodies were exposed by the heavy rains in a field near the town. Benjamin told Gabriel he should go and see the remains immediately. By the look of him, I could tell it had to be something serious. Sister Temperance told him she could help him with that, so she went with him. After a few hours we felt the earth shake while we were working in our orchard. The rest you've probably seen by now.

Booth nodded. "How about these women and children?" he asked.

"They belong to our parish. Some of them have lost everything. We have buried those who died. The men who have survived are helping the rescuers in the surrounding areas."

"Can you put us up for the night?" inquired Booth. "It's too dangerous to drive to San Miguel at night. We'll leave at dawn."

"Of course," said the Friar. "You may also share supper with us."

**B&B**

His body was a bundle of nerves. As he lay awake in his bed Booth's mind simply refused to let him rest. In the morning he'd certainly look like crap, but how could he sleep? How could he find any peace when _those_ words still lingered in his head?

_She couldn't _the Mother Superior had said. Had she definitely renounced her decision to take her vows, or had she just decided to think it over? And why had she fled? From him? The questions he couldn't find an answer to were torturing him.

_This earthly body does not belong to anyone but to Him...no more physical pain..._

"_Oh you're such a fool," _he said to himself. _"how can you possibly believe she could trust you _as a man_ after what she must have experienced?" _The essence of a horrible scene suddenly took shape in his mind's eye... a scene that was making his heart bleed. A tear slipped down his cheek and fell on the pillow. He could almost see her cry, desperately, a terrified look on her face, and then... nothing more. He couldn't think straight. His head was going to explode. He swallowed his tears, stared at the Cross above his bed, and started to pray. He recited all the prayers he had learned since he was a child until he found his inner peace once again.

"Oh God, I beg you, let me find her," he whispered before succumbing to sleep.

**A/N: How did you like this chapter? More to come, soon. Thanks for reading, Lilly**


	14. Chapter 14

**Here is chapter 14. The search for Brennan continues in a ravaged El Salvador. Like I said in the previous part this is just fiction, reality is much worse especially when natural calamities take place around the world. I'd like to thank all the readers for the great response to my story and for the nice reviews I got so far. Enjoy the reading and review, thanks.**

**I do not own Bones. **

**Thank you Gregg. **

**CHAPTER 14**

"I don't think you're gonna like this, sir." said Carter when Booth climbed into the APC.

"What's up?" asked Booth, thinking that the sun was rising to yet another horrible day in El Salvador. The night had been quiet. No aftershocks, no pouring rain; still his senses had never really gone to rest. Just like when he was in the Middle East, no matter how worn out he was, a part of his brain never ceased to be on full alert. And right now he felt exactly the same way.

"The operations base just informed me that the bridge we were supposed to cross on the Rio Lempa has been severely damaged by the quake, the recent heavy rains have caused several landslides and they're still trying to clean the Pan American Highway. I've been advised to take the Carretera del Litoral where all traffic circulation has been diverted. And Sir... the region around San Miguel?" -the Driver paused, and Booth gave him a concerned look - "That's pretty close to the where the epicenter was. Badly hit, so it seems."

"Dammit!" - exclaimed Booth turning toward Sommers - "Any sign of communications being restored down there, Lieutenant?"

"Not yet, Sir. The only lines working are those provided by the international emergency forces."

"We heard one of the main hospitals in the region appears to have collapsed," - joined in the doctor - "Hundreds of people and sanitary personnel are dead or still missing. They're busy getting medical equipment and mobile surgical units to the area. That's what all the medical supplies you traveled with were for, Agent Booth. And they're also trying to evacuate as many survivors as they can, but, really? Where the hell are they going to put all those people? From what I've heard not many structures have survived. And those which did... well, don't need to be an expert to tell in what state they might be."

Booth clenched his jaw. Could it get any worse? He was _not_ really looking forward to seeing more devastation, nor scenes of human desperation. What really hurt him was the knowledge that even this time there would be hundreds, if not thousands, of stranded children whose destiny was yet to be written.

"Holy shit!" - yelled Carter looking at the incredible line of all sorts of vehicles in front of them when they reached the junction with the Carretera del Litoral - "We're gonna spend like forever to get through."

"Couple of hours at least, we've still got a long way to go" - stated Sommers - "Guess things will start to look pretty awful as soon as we leave the main road."

The sun was high in the sky when they took the RN17 which was to lead them to San Miguel. They soon began to realize that what they had seen so far was not the worst they'd have to bear. How badly Mother Nature had unleashed its forces in this unfortunate land was now plain to see. Not much was left of El Delirio and El Progresso. Entire villages simply did not exist anymore, the places had been evacuated and looked like ghost towns. Along the route, however, an endless procession of survivors moved silently toward San Miguel. Similar to a biblical exodus, feet deep in mud, those able to walk carried anything they had managed to save: a precious chicken, pots and pans, water containers, blankets and even mattresses.

"Oh man," - let out Carter - "Just when you think you've seen everything... This is a living Hell! What if the convent has been… too..." he went on, but the sentence died in his lips as Booth turned to give him a withering look.

"_**Don't**_!" he snapped.

"Hey, Carter, will you just shut your mouth and... **drive**!" ordered the Lieutenant.

Tension filled the vehicle and silence crushed once more on the squad. Words were so unnecessary. Sommers turned to Booth. The grave look on his face showed more than simple concern about a mission, the officer thought as bits and pieces of the conversation with the Colonel in charge of the Operations Base in Copalama surfaced in his mind.

_Among the five missionaries there's a nun, not __**any**__ nun. The big guns __in D.C. want her back, __**alive**__. And they're sending us one of the best. Tough guy, __**Sniper**__, former Army Ranger, some __**serious**__ ribbons, including a Presidential Unit Citation. He's FBI now. __**No**__ messing around, Sommers. Is that clear?_

More than clear now Sommers said to himself. He remembered the disappointment in Booth's face at not finding _her_ among the people in the church the day before. He _knew_ her and was deeply concerned about her. How _deeply_, however, was none of his business. One thing he had learned well over the years, _obey and do not ask._

Booth stared at the void outside the carrier. Carter's words lingered in his mind mixing with the hopeful thoughts of Friar Nicholas before they left the mission in San Vicente.

_Agent Booth, I am sure they are safe at the convent. Ours has resisted more than one earthquake in the past few decades, so will the one in San Miguel. We will pray our Lord for his mercy. And He will listen to our voice._

But what if Carter was right? _What if...?_

It was past one o'clock now and the distance between them and the convent seemed to never end. Booth looked at the GPS and sighed, another fourteen more miles till destination. Fourteen, long, interminable miles of silence and hope. Then he would finally know. The physical pain he had endured so far was nothing compared to the agony his heart was going through, and all he could do was to listen to the sound of its wild beat pounding in his ears.

**B&B**

San Miguel looked like a trampled ants' nest. People crawled everywhere and Carter had to further slow down. "Jeez!" - he let out as he drove past the main street - "That was close!" he went on steering suddenly so as not to run over a man who had decided to cross the street without paying much attention.

"Keep calm and watch out, Corporal. We should get to the end of the city pretty soon." Sommers pointed out.

"Roger that, sir."

Several languages could be heard all around, the world had promptly answered the call for help as usual, each country providing aid in its own way. Booth recognized the _Doctors Without Borders_ logo in its French version _Médecins sans frontières. _There were really no frontiers, he thought. Men were all the same before natural calamities. Religious beliefs, political parties, skin color, nothing mattered except saving as many lives as possible and aid those in need in a desperate race against time.

The Convent of Saint Francis was situated just outside the city, on the road to Quelepa. Though the whole area had been ravaged by the earthquake the building was incredibly intact.

"I swear, guys, I don't believe in miracles, but after what we've been through this must sure as hell be a big one!" stated the paramedic as they walked through the open gate leading into the large complex. A fountain, surrounded by a number of neatly trimmed hedges, lay in the middle of the yard and welcomed them with the joyful sound of gushing water. Beyond the garden was a long series of arches, both on the ground and on the first floor of the vast convent. The red tile roof, though somewhat discolored by the sun, seemed perfect and so was the beautiful bell tower which reached up in the sky. They all stilled and looked at the place in awe, unable to believe how it had managed to survive. Many people moved around the arcades. A middle-aged friar turned and walked toward them, not at all surprised by the sudden appearance of the group.

"Good morning," - he welcomed - "We already have the aid we need to assist the people sheltered in our convent, but all the help our Lord sends is such a blessing right now."

"Father, we are more than willing to provide all the help we can, but," - said Booth - "we've driven all the way here to find Father Gabriel and Sister Temperance."

The Franciscan gave him a query look. Booth felt his heart skip a beat at the man's reaction and hastened to explain himself. "They were missing together with three other missionaries back in San Vicente. Communications were interrupted because of the quake, and I was sent to find them. Please tell us they are safe."

"Father Gabriel is here, attending to some badly affected people arrived at our convent over the past few days. Sister Temperance, however…," - he paused, and Booth remained suspended for what seemed an eternity before the man resumed his speech - "She's not here at the moment."

"Can you tell us where she is?" intervened the Lieutenant, thinking they had already had their fair share of distress too.

"She's at the dig."

Booth let out a deep sigh, and his face brightened up immediately. The rest of the squad was puzzled. "Can someone show me how to get there?" he asked.

"Of course. Let me call one of the boys," he said before leaving.

"Thank you," - said Booth. Then he turned to Sommers - "I think you can all stay here and see if these people need any more help. I can handle this on my own."

"Very well, Sir" replied the Lieutenant.

B&B

They walked in silence, and the boy led the way deftly avoiding the large pools of water along the route. Booth reckoned he must be fourteen at the very most. He mused on how excited the boy had been at seeing him all dressed up in his FBI attire, quite different from the rest of the military squad he was with. His eyes were as dark as his hair and shone with a light Booth remembered so well. It was the light that sparkled in his eager eyes when he was the same age. More, he always wanted to know more.

"You FBI?" asked the boy incapable of holding his curiosity any longer.

"Yeah," answered Booth.

"You kill bad people?"

"I did." - Booth pondered that in a few years' time his son would be asking him the same questions, too. Boys were all alike. - "Now, I don't. But I _arrest_ bad people."

"You good police," stated the boy solemnly in his strong native accent.

Booth's lips slightly turned upwards. Suddenly the boy stopped to point out at a figure half visible some thirty yards on the right hand side of the road. "Sister Temperance," - he paused - "Very nice lady," he said truthfully.

Booth's feet stopped, and his heart beat stopped, too, as he looked at the familiar silhouette bent inside the large hole. He smiled, took off his blue hat, and placed it on the boy's head. "Thank you Felix. You can go back to the convent now," he said, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you," the boy replied, proudly running his slender fingers on the white letters of the cap.

**A/N: so how did you like this new part? thanks for reading and reviewing, Lilly**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15, still in El Salvador. Booth has finally found Brennan. Enjoy the reading and find out how they react at seeing each other again. **

**A/N.: I'd like to thank all the readers for the response to my story, for adding it to their favs and for the alerts. Lilly**

**I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg, always.**

**CHAPTER 15**

Booth couldn't move. He stood still and took in the now familiar scene of her intense demeanor inside the dig, focused on the sad duty of recovering the poor remains. He had always known that there was something special about her, something which did not belong to this world. She had been given a gift, one of the most precious a human being could ever have, and she was totally, utterly, devoted to the cause of bringing relief where there was only despair, for the buried unknown. He was overwhelmed by all the sensations that were sweeping through his body at the simple vision of her, safe, right in front of him; by the sharp contrast between the reality of devastation which surrounded them and the deep sense of peace she could provide to his shattered soul. Only once before had he experienced such intense joy at seeing someone, and that was when Parker was born. He felt his heart pulse wildly in his chest. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply struggling to calm himself down.

Suddenly, as if driven by a strong, mysterious force, she stopped, raised her head above the rim of the dig and froze. The moment their eyes locked she felt her heart skip to an impossible beat and her hands start to shake. The tool she was holding slipped through her fingers and fell on her feet. She never diverted her gaze from his, eyes could tell so much more than all the words she could have ever thought of. She was bewildered to see him; to have him there, with her, among all that desolation. It seemed almost surreal, nearly impossible for her to bear, physically, all the sensations she felt in that very moment. For she had never stopped thinking about him, desiring him in a way she reckoned absurd after all she'd been through in her previous life. However, the way her whole being reacted to his was unequivocal and she was helpless before the call of life and love. **He** was the only one she had longed to see and God had sent him to her, once more. That was _**His**_ will.

They kept staring at each other for what seemed an interminable length of time. When he finally moved toward her she felt a thrill run through her spine and she turned to better take in the image of him, dressed like a soldier, who had come all that way, for her. As he walked the short distance to the dig all he could hear was the sound of his footsteps on the gravel mixed with the frantic throb of his heart in his temples. He stopped above her. Neither of them able to convey with words what their hearts were desperate to tell, they remained silent. No words necessary for their souls to connect. She pulled off her latex gloves and reached out for him, he knelt on the brink of the hole and took her hands. He felt electrified by the warmth of her touch as he helped her out. Out of the miserable grave which contained all those bones, where she had spent how many hours? All alone? Surrounded by death. When she had straightened herself up in front of him he closed the little space between them and enveloped her with his strong arms.

Brennan closed her eyes and rested her cheek on his shoulder. As she inhaled, deeply, for the first time his masculine scent she felt intoxicated, her head light and miles away from the horror she had seen so far. She let herself melt in his embrace and be swept away by a torrent of emotions she had never experienced before.

_I don't want to wake up from this beautiful dream _Booth thought holding her close. But then she shifted, slightly, in his arms and a powerful shiver went down his back. And he realized he was_ not_ dreaming. His body awakened for her, for the woman who had capsized his life, made him unable to sleep, to think about nothing but her from that very first glance at her convent. Suddenly he was terrified by his inevitable physical reaction to her proximity_._

_Was it too soon for them to be so close to each other? Was it too painful, for her, to feel how much he desired her?_

He loosened his hold on her and pulled away. She understood, immediately, looked at him in awe and gently ran her warm hand on his cheek.

There was a long pause. They seemed unable to break eye contact, as if by doing so they would break the spell which bound them together.

"Let me help you," he finally said.

She nodded and gave him a smile. "This way," she suggested.

"How many corpses are there?" he asked looking at the hundreds of bones scattered all around.

"I've uncovered four so far, but there is another one here. See? It was the first one thrown into the hole," she stated pointing at the small visible part of a skull.

"You already have an idea as to whom these skeletons belong to?"

"I think I do," she replied "And I don't have the courage to tell Gabriel," She confessed, eyes welling up, her face tense.

"Who were these people?" he queried, his face mirroring his surprise.

"I'll be more accurate once the fifth corpse has been exhumed, but I think these were the five Franciscan missionaries that disappeared from the convent in 1990, and were killed during the Civil War. Two nuns and three friars. One of them was like a brother to Gabriel; they had known each other since the seminary. In 1987 Augustin came here to build a convent and a new school in this area. And that was the last time he ever saw him alive."

"How do you know it's them?"

She didn't answer and digging her hand into one of her pockets she pulled out a small plastic bag.

"I've found four of these so far," she told him, handing over the small silver cross inside the bag. "If I'm not mistaken the fifth is still down there," she stated, gesturing at the bottom of the hole.

"Did anybody help you?"

She shook her head.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through all this on your own. But you're not alone. Not anymore, Temperance," he said, taking her hands. "I'll call Carter and tell him to bring the truck here. We are going to pack these remains and send them back to DC so you can carry on your work at the Jeffersonian."

She gave him an incredulous look.

"I am **not **leaving without you. Not this time. I promised. Mother Elisabeth would never forgive me," he declared, pulling out his satellite phone from his jacket.

They worked side by side the whole evening, hardly stopping to eat what the Driver had brought from the convent. Carter looked at the two of them buried deep into the ground, making sure all the remains were properly cataloged and placed into the plastic bags and the boxes he had managed to find for her. He was amazed by way they kept silent most of the time, barely communicating except with their eyes. Every time their arms brushed they both stilled and looked at each other, in a way that left no doubt as to the real nature of their relationship. He was starting to understand why the FBI agent had been so edgy during the long journey to San Miguel. Man, could he blame him for being so? She was _**something**_ for sure. A nun, really? How on earth had she turned into a nun? He had never seen such a stunning woman before and a forensic anthropologist on top of that! And Booth, well, the fierce look he had received from him on the truck had scared the crap out of him. No messing around allowed with her! End of story.

Carter turned his gaze to the sun setting on the horizon, darkness would follow soon. He lit up a cigarette, took a long puff and exhaled the smoke nervously. All he wanted to do right now, he thought, was to get the hell out of there.

**B&B**

Everything was quiet inside the small church. Booth looked at the five candles he had lit. Five feeble warm lights flickered before him, their halo projecting his shadow on the far wall. He took another one, and softly ran his fingers along its smooth surface and bent its tip on one of the flames. He placed the sixth candle next to the others, raised his head and looked at the image of the Virgin Mary. "Thank you, Holy Mother." he whispered crossing himself. He stood there collecting his thoughts. After a while he walked toward the altar and knelt on the first bench. He joined his hands, fixed his eyes on the Man on the Cross then lowered his head until it touched his hands. He prayed, in the blissful silence of the deserted church. For all the people who simply weren't anymore, for those still buried, for those who had survived, for the five missionaries missing for so many years, for _**her**_ and the difficult task she had to perform once again, and for himself. For he couldn't find a way to get his feelings under control.

_How could he possibly be happy amidst all this?_ **Yet he was**, for he had found her alive. _How soft and desirable her body had felt fused to his only a few hours before? And how could he find peace and rest now, knowing she was so close, yet so unreachable?_

"Forgive me Father, for having such impure thoughts in your temple," he let out with a sigh. All of a sudden he knew, and didn't have to turn to see her come to him, kneeling beside him. She was so close he could feel the magnetic warmth of her body. He turned and was lost in the deepness of her light blue eyes melting in his.

"I haven't been able to rest… not a single night," she whispered.

"I know," he replied, matching the exact words they had pronounced the day he had come to see her in Limbo.

What she did next was more than any vow she could have openly made. She reached out, intertwined her fingers in his, then lowered her head and placed a gentle kiss on their joined hands.

In the peaceful darkness of the church, Gabriel looked at the couple kneeling before the altar. He raised his eyes to the Crucifix and smiled.

**A/N.: Let me know if you liked this one and how I'm dealing with the story, a nice word from you is the best reward a writer can get. Thanks for reading, Lilly.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: while I was writing these last few chapters a terrible earthquake badly hit my own country, people died, thousands lost everything they had. Unfortunately things like that happen all the time on our planet. Do not forget, however, that this is fiction, I do not wish to upset anyone. Even among destruction some beautiful, unexpected miracles can happen and you're going to find one along this part. Still AU and will remain so until the end. Enjoy the reading.**

**I want to thank everyone for the great response to my story and those who reviewed or added this to their favourites/alerts. Your nice words keep me going.**

**I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg, always.**

**CHAPTER 16**

Brennan brushed the soil from the remaining skull then delicately removed it from the bottom of the hole where it had been buried for over twenty years. That was the fifth and last one. She examined attentively every single crevice of the bones, then she gently ran her fingers along the entire surface, caressing it, till she stopped on the small hole on the right side, just above the opening where the ear once was. She stared at it, desperately trying to get hold of herself. But she couldn't. She lowered her head and a silent tear slipped down her cheek. Booth took the skull and placed it on the ground then stripped off his gloves. He lifted her chin.

"They had come here to help those in need. To give the orphans a home, and a school," she paused. "How could they kill them like this?" she continued between sobs.

He didn't have an answer to her question. No words can explain the cruelty of war. He had been a part of it, so he knew that damn well. When doubts had threatened to crush his soul, when he had seen innocents die, he had told himself that he was fighting for his country. For a good cause. She held his gaze and what he saw in her now dark blue eyes made him shiver. She looked so frail and lost in her thoughts. She had suffered so much he would do _**anything**_ to spare her this. Yet he felt powerless before something that was _**so **_much bigger than them.

He cupped her face and brushed his thumbs lightly over her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Temperance," he whispered.

All he could do was hold her close and make her feel safe in his arms. And loved. He closed his eyes and let the memories of the early hours of the morning live again.

_She had come to him. Restless and unable to sleep, pulled by the same powerful call, she had entered the church, walked down the aisle, knelt beside him and taking his hands, she had kissed them. He had felt his heart swell, its frantic beat matching hers. Then, slowly, a deep sense of peace had come upon them. Unwilling to part with the other, they had remained on the bench, hands joined, her head resting on his shoulder, in the dim light of the votive candles. Sensing the presence of someone concealed in the shadows his eyes had searched the place until he had found Gabriel looking at the two of them. He hadn't flinched. There was nothing to hide, nothing to be ashamed of. Not anymore. He had no more doubts about his feelings and neither did she. He had seen the Franciscan nod before leaving. After a while her breath had become more regular, almost imperceptible, and she had given in to sleep. He had tried to resist, at first, wishing to watch over her while she slept so peaceful next to him. But then he had closed his eyes and had joined her, drifting in the same blissful oblivion. _

_At dawn he had opened his eyes to find her resting her head on his chest, enveloped by his embrace. When he had stirred to pull back the locks that covered her face she had moaned softly in his arms. She was so beautiful, almost transfigured, sleeping so peacefully on his body that he had to restrain himself from placing his lips on hers, following the most natural instinct to wake her up with a kiss. Slowly she had awakened, and, realizing where she was, she had lingered on the strong planes of his chest. __**Touch**__. How much closer could she be to the man she loved? __**And desire**__. How long could she deny herself what she had been longing for? Pulling her head up she had found the same suspended desire in his eyes, the temptation almost irresistible to feel the warmth of his mouth on __hers. Instead, her fingers had traveled along his cheeks before stopping on the soft contours of his lips…_

"This skeleton belongs to a man, Caucasian, about forty, quite tall. These remains are congruent with Augustin's features," she stated, recomposing herself. Kneeling down she reached into what was left of the thorax, and removed the silver cross. She polished it till it was sparkling clean then placed the relic into a transparent plastic bag. Booth helped her pack every single bone in silence, never leaving her side, like the day before.

"You should rest now," he suggested, seeing how worn out she was when they were done. "And eat." he added since she had barely touched her food. "If we leave in an hour we can be at the airport before sunset."

She shook her head. "I can't. Not yet."

"What's keeping you?" he asked, confused.

"There's someone I have to see before I go. I won't be long."

"OK, I'll tell Sommers to get ready to leave by 4:00. Is that alright?" he proposed as they approached the APC.

"Yes. I'll show you the way," she answered, climbing into the truck. "Follow the main route to Quelepa."

Booth started the engine and drove along the still muddy road toward the city next to San Miguel. He noticed that the stream of traffic and human evacuation had somewhat slowed down and everything seemed oddly quiet. Brennan kept her eyes fixed on the countryside, taking in the striking image of the sleepy volcano in the distance and the scenes of destruction which surrounded them as they approached the suburbs of Quelepa.

"How far?" Booth asked, driving past the green road sign which, not later than a few days earlier, had welcomed visitors into the small city. Now it lay bent on its left side together with a group of houses which had been badly damaged by the terrible quake.

"Straight ahead till the light blue house, then right. We're almost there. The street is narrow, you might want to park the truck on the main road." She suggested.

Booth nodded and scanned the street all around looking for a good place to stop. Suddenly he felt dizzy and his vision started to blur. He shook his head and tightened his grip on the wheel. He was aware of how tired he was, not getting much rest, always on edge, but that was not the right time to fall asleep, he thought. Then he felt the truck rock and saw people rush out of the houses, screaming.

"What the…" he let out slamming on the breaks.

"Pull over!" she shouted. She knew exactly what was going on. She had experienced _that_ the week before.

He parked the APC on the left side of the street, she jumped out and rushed into the alley. Careless of the walls crushing down all around she disappeared into a cloud of dust.

"Temperance wait!" he shouted, running after her, his heart pounding madly in his chest.

When he reached her he found her staring at what remained of a small one-story white house, half of which had just crumbled down.

"My God!" he exclaimed, seeing her watch in shock the terrible scene of a forearm and a leg sticking out of the debris as the cloud of dust began to fade. "Who lived here?"

She didn't answer. He moved closer and touched her shoulder to make her turn and look at him. "They're probably all dead, Temperance."

"No!" she cried out. "I have to find her."

"What are you talking about?" he asked nervously "you can't possibly want to get in there, it's way too dangerous."

"I have to give her a proper…-" Suddenly she stopped talking.

"A proper what?" he was puzzled.

"Did you hear that?"

He shook his head.

"Listen!" she said, looking back to the wreckage. They both heard it clearly this time. It started as a low whimpering sound, then turned into a louder, desperate cry. A new born baby's cry.

"She's still alive!" Brennan yelled, dashing into the house.

He ran after her and saw her bend over a cot in the kitchen.

"Sh, it's alright. Don't cry," she whispered, gently lifting the baby and holding her close to her heart, to calm her down. She looked at him with watery eyes. The sight of her cradling the child brought a lump to his throat.

"Her mother died last week after giving birth to her in the collapsed hospital. This was her only family left." she stated, nodding at the corpses buried not far from them. Tears started to fall down her cheeks.

His whole being was overwhelmed with a flood of emotions impossible to express and he just stood there, unable to speak. The terrible sound roused him from his reverie. In a flash his trained senses realized what was about to happen. They would never make it to the door. The floor started to shake, large cracks formed on the remaining walls. She stumbled, and nearly fell before him. Holding the baby tight to her chest she looked at him with eyes wide open. "Don't move," he told her, taking off his jacket while he reached her. "Put this on your head and cover the baby, quick," he said, guiding her into the only safe place he could spot. "Here you'll be safe." he added, making her lay as fast as he could into the small fireplace, protecting her and the baby with his body as the roof started to fall down on him. She closed her eyes and couldn't think of anything but the man she loved sacrificing himself to save her.

Booth couldn't move, blocked as he was under layers of debris. The sharp pain he had felt at first in his back was leaving him. Everything was going black. Her muffled voice called him. He tried to answer but no sound could leave his lips. He closed his eyes. "Oh God, Please!" were the last words he heard. Then nothing more.

**A/N: please do not be mad, you know how optimistic I am otherwise I would have never written such a story. You just have to wait till chapter 17, which should follow soon. In the meantime you can stop and review if you liked this, and even if you didn't, a good critic is always welcome and helpful. Thanks for reading.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks to all the readers for the great response to this story, for the nice reviews and all the alerts/favourites I got, not only to this story. **

**Here's part 17. Booth, of course, is not dead. This chapter takes place in D.C. though I didn't openly mention it. He is in hospital, this part and the next one will deal with his recovery. And a definite change in his and Brennan's life. Enjoy the reading.**

**I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg, always.**

**CHAPTER 17**

So that was it. Somehow he had always pictured Heaven would be just like this. The pain was gone and now he was enveloped by the brightest light he'd ever seen. Everything seemed indeed immaculate white and his soul felt so light and peaceful. He rejoiced thinking that of all the angels God had sent him _her._ And she was smiling at him… _did angels kiss_? That was ridiculous, but then he remembered they had never kissed and maybe… now… and was it normal for his heart to beat so fast?

"He's waking up. Good," he heard in the distance.

"Thank you my Lord," a familiar voice whispered beside him.

Booth opened his eyes and he was dazzled by the brightness which surrounded him. He blinked, then closed his eyes again. Pure light. And warmth. In his hand. And on his cheek. He knew that touch…

"Seeley, look at me," he heard the familiar voice again. "Please look at me."

A strong force was pulling him away from the light, but he didn't want to leave there. It felt so right. Yet he was attracted by the soft familiar voice, he longed to hear again.

He opened his eyes. Someone bent on his face. A flash struck both of his pupils, then was gone. He adjusted to the light in the room, turned his face to his side to the warmth of his left hand. He met her eyes; they were damp. _Why was she crying?_ he thought. She shouldn't be crying like this. He couldn't bear the thought of it. Images suddenly stormed his mind.

_A house… a baby's cry… then lots of dust… lots of pain… darkness… and silence. No more pain._

"Temperance…," her name came out of his lips in a strangled moan. It hurt so much just to let the air into his lungs. He closed his eyes.

"May I have a word with you?" asked the neurologist.

"Yes, of course," replied Brennan following him to the corridor.

"He recognized you, Dr. Brennan. This is most definitely a positive sign. His vital signs are almost perfect. His pupils reacted quite well to the light, and the muscle tone is excellent. A mild concussion, but no spinal injury."

"His head and the upper part of his trunk were inside the fireplace," she explained, instinctively raising her bandaged left hand as if she had to protect him once again. The excruciating pain she had felt was nothing compared to the suffering of her heart while pieces of stones, concrete and wood had covered his body.

"I read the report of the medical unit which got there after the earthquake, Dr. Brennan. Now, you are a scientist, You know exactly what happened, how long it took them to get you out of there, and how badly injured Agent Booth was. There is no scientific explanation for his still being alive, and... well…," he paused, "let me tell you this, quite frankly, in pretty good shape."

"I know Dr. Powell, but there are some things that simply go beyond science and logic. We have to accept that." she stated truthfully.

"He's strong, and in good hands," he went on giving her a supportive smile, "Full recovery shouldn't be a problem."

"Thank you, Doctor," she said before entering the room again.

She approached the bed to find that Booth had drifted off to sleep. She looked at the bandages around his head then ran her eyes on her hand. The hand which had tried to protect his head from the hell that had rained down on him. She raised it and gently ran her fingers on the bruises on his face, stopping where they had lingered just a few days before. He opened his eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi," he replied with a smile. With the corner of his eye he noticed the bandages on her hand. "What happened?" he asked, frowning.

"Just a few cuts, that's all."

He tried to lift his right arm to touch her but he couldn't. It felt numb and rigid, his forearm was strapped on his stomach and his hand rested on his side.

"My arm… I can't move it…."

"It was broken. The humerus, near the elbow. They had to operate. A very bad fracture," she stated. That was enough for now, she reckoned.

"What else?" he inquired, a serious look on his face. He knew she'd never hide anything from him.

"Your right leg was broken as well, and your back…," she paused, her eyes welled. She swallowed hard to push back her tears.

"I won't be able to walk again, is that it?" he gulped. "I can't feel my legs. Temperance, am I … paralyzed?" he asked.

"Oh God, no. Don't say that! It's the morphine speaking…," she said feeling the tears slip through her eyelashes. "You will be alright, you're strong, you've already…," then she stopped as the image formed suddenly in the back of her mind.

"Temperance, please," he begged, seeing how much she was suffering just holding back.

"I saw your X-rays… I know… what they did to you… how it must have hurt…."

He squeezed her hand. "That was nothing compared to…," though still dizzy he realized immediately he shouldn't finish that line. She stiffened, he tightened his grip on her hand. He held her gaze and saw her eyes turn to a darker shade of blue. They were uneasy and silent for a long moment.

"I am so sorry, Temperance," he whispered softly. "And I love you, so much."

"I know."

She really did. How could she doubt that? The image of his inert body on hers was always there, before her eyes. She sighed. Like a series of snapshots memories flashed through her mind…

_All was silent. She tried to move but she couldn't. Trapped as she was inside the small fireplace. Heavy, that was the first thing she thought when her brain had gone back to function mode after the roof collapse. His body, on hers, was rigid._

Seeley!_ She cried trying to move her injured hand. No answer. More silence. _Seeley, please!_ She __called again, in vain. She pushed away the thought that he might be dead. She _**had**_ to do something. _Think_, she said to herself, _There's no time to waste_. She checked the baby, she seemed fine though incredibly quiet. She felt the beat of her small heart on __her right hand. _Thank God._ His phone, if she could reach his phone, she knew where it was. Tentatively she managed to free her hand, regardless of the pain she felt every time the exposed flesh brushed the debris. The right pocket, where would that be? Sh__e visualized herself pulling his jacket on her head. Close, it was so close, if only she could push that piece of stone aside… maybe… _don't move so fast Temperance, he could be badly injured_… her brain was conjecturing. She reached the pocket, touched the __phone. It seemed intact. She grabbed it, biting her lower lip to endure the pain she felt as the back of her left hand brushed the fabric. _

Sommers? _she asked. _I need your help. A pause. Booth is here but he cannot answer the phone. Another pause. We're trapped, the earthquake… he's unconscious. Bring all the squad, Sister Hellen and Father Gabriel, he knows what to do…_ She listened to his voice. _The road to Quelepa, about a mile, the main street, you'll see the truck. A light blue house on the corner, take the alley on the right, fifty yards, third house on the left… hurry up and Sommers? You might want call the base…

_She dropped the phone beside Booth's head still buried on her shoulder. She reached out and gently ran her wounded fingers on his dusty hair. __Caressing it in the way a lover would she stroke his nape, then she pressed below the bone of the mandible. She felt his heartbeat, feeble but steady. She closed her eyes and let her tears fall free. She kept her wounded hand on his face, to let him feel h__er presence there. _Stay with me Seeley_. She begged him as if he could hear her. She caressed the baby. Wait, that's all she could do right now and pray. _Holy Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name… _she whispered._

The warmth of his hand brought her back to the present. She found him staring at her in awe. The black of his pupils overcoming the brown of his irises.

"I love you, too," she lowered her head, and placed her lips on his.

_Am I dreaming?_ thought Booth the moment he felt the warm contact of her lips. _I must be_.

Through his closed eyes he could still see that soothing light, embracing him. He still felt light and peaceful and angels did kiss. He completely abandoned himself, mesmerized by the sensations of her lips on his. He opened his eyes and found hers so close to him; jewels in the sparkling blue waters. She stopped for a moment and smiled. He felt her warm breath on his mouth, and slightly parted his lips to receive hers again. Her tongue gently sought his and when she found it they both stilled in wonder. He felt his head whirling. He closed his eyes again and shut out everything that wasn't her kissing him in that very moment of pure bliss.

**A/N: so the worst is gone for our incredible couple. I believe there's always a light at the end of even the darkest of tunnels. Chapter 18 should be posted soon. Thanks for reading. Lilly. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Here is part 18, set in the hospital and in Booth's apartment. A new start for both of them after all they've been through. Enjoy and review, a few words only take a couple of minutes and are the best reward a writer can get. Thanks.**

**I'd like to thank all the readers for the response to this story and to my FF. **

**I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg, always.**

**CHAPTER 18**

"You have a son."

"Parker…"

"You could have died," Brennan stated. "And then…"

"Temperance, please," Booth said, raising his hand to wipe away a tear lingering on her eyelashes. "It's over."

"It is, but I was so scared. To lose you… I thought…," she swallowed hard to find the right words to tell him what had happened. "Do you remember anything?"

"Not much. Just some bits and pieces. Voices…, but I can't make out what they're saying…," he said, trying to concentrate on the words that floated in his mind. "I can't. It hurts."

"You suffered a mild concussion…," Brennan said. Then she diverted her gaze, looking toward the window and pausing there, allowing the memories to drift back.

_The silence all around was killing her. Had people in the surrounding houses managed to run away? Or were they all dead? Where was everybody? Why couldn't she hear anything? She had talked to him but he was silent and inert. Her heart had stopp__ed beating. How could she go on living after this? Without him, knowing what he had done for her. To save her, and the baby. But he had survived, he was still alive and she could do nothing to help him but stay there, with him pressed on her, and pray for __God, who had listened to her prayers before, to listen to her once again. For she would not survive this time. Alone._

"Sister Temperance?"

_She recognized Sommers' voice._

"We're here!" s_he answered, trying not to shout and frighten the baby._

_Then she recognized all the others, frantically working together to free them from all the debris. Ages, it had looked like a lifetime. Then, suddenly, the first beams of light had peeped through…_

"Jesus Christ!"_ exclaimed Carter when they finally reached them._ Agent Booth, you alright?

"Careful Carter!"_ the doctor snapped_. "Leave him to us."

"His back might be…," _she said to the young doctor kneeling on Booth._

"Don't worry," _h__e reassured her._ "A specialized unit is on the way, the helicopter should be here any minute now."

"Where's sister Helen?"

"Right here, Temperance," _t__he nun replied._

"Take the baby. I don't think she's injured."

"**A baby?" ** _asked the doctor diverting his gaze from Booth._

_Brennan raised her right arm to reveal the quiet form of the newborn lying __peacefully on her side, her body and Booth's strong arm still_ _protecting her in a warm embrace._

"Oh my God!"_ he let out, stupefied._ "Come on Stevens, go get a blanket, let's check her out."

_The moment the doctor pulled her out the baby started to cry. Eve__rybody stopped, frozen in wonder, then smiles formed quickly on everybody's face._ **Life**. _The power of a cry in the middle of silence, amidst the silence of death._

"Gabriel?" _Brennan whispered._

"I'm here, my child," _t__he Franciscan father replied, kneeling b__eside her, stroking her hair lightly._

"Will you please?" s_he said nodded at Booth still lying unconscious on her. She needed nothing more to say. He knew exactly what she was asking for._

_The Franciscan took a small pot out of his pocket, removed the lid, d__ipped his right thumb into the olive oil then drew the sign of the cross on Booth's forehead._ "By this holy anointing may the Lord forgive you all the evil you have done."

"Amen," s_he whispered._

_Booth suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the religious man kneeling next to him. The warmth and depth of his paternal gaze were so strong, so reassuring…_

"Gabriel," Booth said bringing her mind back to the present. "He was there. I heard his voice… he gave me…," he paused and searched her eyes. "Thank you," he added.

"I just couldn't let you…," she interrupted.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"In El Salvador. Helping the others."

"The baby?" he inquired. "How is she? Where is she?"

"She's fine. At the convent. We couldn't bring her here. Not yet."

He gave her a smile. "You were so beautiful, holding her in your arms," he told her as the vision of her re-emerged from the recent past.

She caressed his face, gently brushing all the bruises on his skin. For a moment, before the terrible earthquake, their eyes had locked together. Each of them desperately wanting to tell the other so much. And then…

"How will I ever be able to thank _you _for what you've done for us, Seeley?"

He looked at her, unable to speak, unable to swallow the gulp that had formed in his throat. None of the words which were lingering in his mind seemed appropriate to describe his happiness so he simply took her hand and brought it to his lips. She lowered her head on his chest, careful not to harm him. He sensed her bandaged hand caress his right arm, moving lightly, till she reached his hand. She gently played with his fingers, then she stilled and let the thundering beat of his heart fill every fiber of her soul.

**B&B**

Brennan helped Booth out of the car, then she slowly led him up to his apartment. He took the key out of his pocket and opened the door to let her in. She didn't move. Staring at the threshold she was hit by a wave of painful memories. _Her apartment, an open door, a man..._

_That_ apartment belonged to a life she had fought so hard to get herself over. Forgetting had been simply impossible, those images were indelibly stamped on her mind, had tormented her for months, demons hunting her dreams, preventing her to rest, driving her crazy. _An open door…_ there had been no going back. No rewinding a scene to shoot it again. No what ifs…. She had come to accept that. She had seen the bottom of her abyss, had found the strength to walk toward the light and be born again, a different being. With a man, _a different man_. She turned to look at Booth who had frozen, too, beside her. Everything about him was different. The way he looked at her, touched her, respected her. Yet she was so scared.

Booth reached out and gently took her hand, intertwining their fingers. There were no words he could say, so he let his eyes convey all his feelings for her. He pulled her close to his body and held her in silence. He could not push her, she had a move to make, to go back to a life she had renounced all those years before. He struggled to keep his anger at bay, not to let himself be carried away. Never before had demons from his past tormented him like this. Knowing what had made her suffer and withdraw from life had almost driven him insane. Slowly he relaxed. The inner turmoil disappeared and he only wished to let her feel safe, in his arms.

She sensed the difference in the way he was holding her now, his body had become lighter, more pliant, its warmth flowing into her, the regular beat of his heart soothing her. They stood there, for a long moment, conscious that stepping across that threshold would mean to start anew, for both of them. Together.

Holding his hand she moved into his apartment. He closed the door behind them.

"Make yourself at home," he suggested.

She smiled. Home, she let her mind linger. What had been _home, _for her, over the past six years? The soothing, peaceful beauty of the convent in Virginia? The dimly lit Limbo at the Jeffersonian? Or the small, quiet apartment she had been given in DC? She looked at _his_ home. Though he had been away for several weeks the place was tidy and well kept. Very masculine in its essentials. By the state of it she reckoned he must have moved in quite recently. She realized he was still standing beside her, allowing her to get used to his place.

"You must be tired. Would you like to lie down a while?" she asked.

He shook his head. "The couch," he said, letting her lead him to the sofa.

She helped him sit and find a comfortable position. She looked at him, holding his gaze. They both felt awkward and tense. Words didn't come easily. How could they?

"Let me get you a drink," she proposed.

"I left some beers in the fridge."

Beer. She hadn't had one for a very long time. She shook away the painful memory of that night at the dig. She rose and headed for the kitchen. Though an open space, it was nicely separated from the living room by a golden sandstone counter top. She ran her hand on the smooth, polished surface. She had always liked the feeling of that particular stone. The edges had been perfectly rounded, and her mind flew to his son. She had seen the look in his eyes when she was holding the baby. He was a good man, and certainly a very good father too. She sensed his gaze on her and turned around to look at him.

Booth had never taken his eyes off her. The way she caressed the stone reminded him of the same way she used to run her fingers on the poor remains she had to examine. With a care and an attention he had never seen before. He thought of her fingers gently brushing his face and a thrill ran through his spine.

Brennan caught the sparkle in his eyes as he kept staring at her. No man had ever looked at her with such intensity and she couldn't help blushing. She took a beer from the fridge, opened it, then poured herself a glass of water. She sat on his left side, leaving some space between them.

She was nervous. He could feel that. He took a sip of his beer and leaned forward to put the bottle on the coffee table. He frowned and stiffened at the sudden pain in his broken arm.

"Let me help you," she said, gently reaching out to take the bottle. Then she placed her glass on the small table, too. She turned to him, taking in all the contrasting images that his suffering body conveyed. How much pain had he endured? She could not be mistaken, bones never lied to her. Yes, he was strong, but what he had gone through was almost impossible to bear, physically. There had been another type of strength, a more powerful one, and she knew exactly where he had found it. It was the same strength that had saved her.

Booth was overwhelmed by the way she was looking at him, the scientist and the woman in her struggling to cope with her emotions. Then he saw her eyes well and tears slip silently down her cheeks. He swallowed hard to hold back his own tears. He brushed the wet salty streams from her face then softly pulled her toward his body, letting her head rest on his shoulder.

"Don't feel sorry for me," he whispered, running his hand on her hair.

She shook her head, unable to speak, her tears turning into sobs. He held her close, never stopped caressing her, till she finally calmed down. He pulled her closer and enveloped her with his embrace then placed his temple on top of her head. She felt relieved and safe in his arms. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. As soon as he sensed her breath had evened into a slow, deep rhythm he closed his eyes, too, and joined her.

**A/N: How did you like it? please let me know, interacting with the readers is great, there's always something to learn in terms of writing. I hope to be able to post chapter 19 soon. Thanks, Lilly**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm posting chapter 19, the story is almost over. Just like in the previous parts I've tried to keep the shift in emotional perspective almost constant, and I hope you'll enjoy the reading.**

**Thanks to all the readers for the great response to chapter 18 and the nice reviews. A few words from you are always welcome, they're the best reward for all the hard work we do, no matter how fun it is.**

**I do not own Bones.**

**Thank you Gregg, always.**

**CHAPTER 19**

"**You son of a bitch!"**

The shout scared the life out of her.

"**Take your filthy hands off her!" **Booth screamed again.

Brennan slipped away from his embrace and stared at him with eyes wide open. _A nightmare_, and she knew exactly what he was dreaming of. Her past was tormenting him; haunting his dreams. His eyelids twitched nervously and he writhed on the couch. She couldn't stand the thought of him torturing himself because of her. He didn't deserve that.

"Seeley," she ran her hand on his cheek and called him again. He opened his eyes and looked at her, puzzled. "You were having a bad dream," she explained tenderly.

"Oh God, did I wake you up? I…," he paused. " I'm sorry…," he confessed, recalling the dream. He lowered his gaze, ashamed of himself.

"Don't be."

He was covered in sweat.

"Come," she said when his chest stopped heaving, guiding him to the bathroom. She helped him remove his T-shirt, wet a hand towel, and started to rub his upper back. He closed his eyes as she moved lower, lingering on every bruise and cut which reminded her of his recent trauma. Then she ran her fingers, lightly, on far older scars which spoke of torture and battering. She stilled.

He opened his eyes. Through the mirror he saw her light blue eyes had darkened. He remained silent and just stared at her reflection, mesmerized by the way she was looking at him. _"I saw your X-rays… I know…."_ She did. The expert in her had examined them, seen the damage in every single broken bone, but the woman who was staring at his back, now, had eyes filled with concern, and love. Her hands resumed their journey and when he felt them slide under his arms, pressing on his bare chest, his muscles tightened in anticipation.

"Temperance," he whispered, putting his left hand on hers.

She dried his body placing soft kisses on every mark she found on his back. Then she moved in front of him and did the same with his torso. He slipped his hand beneath her shirt and the contact with her back made him shiver. He undid all the buttons, one by one, revealing the ivory skin as he peeled her blouse over her shoulders. He explored every single inch of her skin and marveled at how smooth it was, like pure silk. The desire he felt for her was simply irresistible. He had waited for so long, hadn't touched any other woman, hadn't dared touch his body anymore.

Brennan had found herself wondering about him so many times…. _H__ow would it feel?_ _T__he warmth of his lips…? The gentleness of his touch…? _ No one had ever caressed her like that…. She felt her whole being pulse with life, and love for him. She met his eyes, cupped his face, and placed her lips on his. It was so tender at first, the tip of his tongue softly seeking hers. Then he pulled her close to his body, deepening the kiss, their tongues meeting in pure passion. She was lit ablaze, her head light, the room swirling around. Eyes closed, she focused on his hand wandering along her back, moving up, his fingers reaching her nape to pull her head closer, to deepen the kiss even further.

They broke apart gasping for air, then he lowered his head and placed his burning lips on her neck.** Fire**. She felt as if she were melting in the heat of his strong body close to hers. "Seeley, please...," she heard herself beg. He stopped and looked at her, lost in the same, intense, suspended longing he could see reflected in her eyes. He tried to unbutton her jeans, then she reached out and helped him, lowering her zipper. His hand slipped beneath the fabric to feel the round curve of her hip. She sensed his urge. More. He wanted to feel every inch of her. She removed her jeans, then helped him get out of his remaining clothes until he was naked in front of her. He pulled her toward him and she stiffened at the sudden contact with his arousal.

_So powerful..., so dangerous._ She closed her eyes fighting back her demons. His eyes filled.

"Open your eyes, Temperance," he said, lifting her chin. She did. "I could never hurt you…. I never will. I love you," he vowed. They held each other's gaze for a long moment. He resumed exploring her skin, stroking her belly, playing with the soft curves of her hip. Then his hand moved higher, she arched her back, held her breath, and when his lips brushed her nipples he ignited the flame inside her once again.

She had never experienced something so intense. How could she if she had never thought such pleasure was even possible? If the man who was supposed to show her what physical pleasure is had shattered all her hopes of future happiness?

She took his hand and led him wordlessly to the bedroom, making him rest his back on the pillows she placed against the headboard. She laid beside him, looked at his right arm, then back at him. "It's OK, it won't hurt," he said drawing her near.

She straddled him.

"Keep looking at me Temperance," he said when she lowered herself onto him, slowly, tentatively. He felt her muscles clench around him and she stopped. He wanted to be one with her, fill her, dissolve in her flames. He found her lips and kissed her, clinging almost desperately to her with a passion he had never expressed before. She felt herself melt in his mouth and let herself go, welcoming him in the depths of her inner self.

It was something as old as time, yet totally new, with him. She focused on the overwhelming sensation of their halves becoming one flesh, on the fire that was burning them alive, wishing to make it last forever, feeling the edge getting near till she could almost see it, so close she could almost touch it. He _knew _and released her lips, searching her eyes.

"Take me with you," he said in a low tone.

_So close_, she thought. _N__o more physical__ pain. Another kind of love…with __**him.**_

"Now," she uttered, her voice almost a whisper, leaning forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt her tighten and quiver around him, her fingers threading through his short hair while she cried out his name. Images flashed before his eyes. A_ white cord on a grey habit... A pair of sparkling blue eyes by a pond..._

_S_uddenly all of his senses exploded, and all he could feel was the rhythmic throbbing of their bodies fused together. She raised her head, still catching her breath, and she put her hands on his cheeks gazing at him for what seemed an eternity. He was hypnotized by the look in her now dark grey eyes, clouds before a raging storm, at the peak of passion.

Her mouth was on his again, feather light, so gentle, so innocent. His body shivered. He placed his hand on her hip to hold her there, above him. "Stay," he said. Her eyes shone in wonder feeling him come alive inside her again. There were so many things he wanted to say, so much he wished to express…. He opened his mouth, but only a long, low groan of pleasure escaped his lips. No previous lover had ever made his body stir with desire like this. She lowered herself on his chest, found a new pace, moving around him in slow, deep thrusts. Never ever had any woman made love to him with such tenderness. The gentle friction of her breasts on his skin became more rapid, and her moaning told him she was close once again.

"Come with me Temperance," he whispered in her ear.

The storm broke, fire enveloping them again in one consuming flame. _Was it his voice crying out her name or was it hers calling out his? _she wondered. _And where did his body end and hers begin? _She wasn't sure anymore. He held her close with all the love he was capable of, gently caressing her hair, stroking her back damp with sweat as she shuddered almost uncontrollably over him. It was so powerful this time, yet she felt no pain. She abandoned herself, letting all the memories of her past filled with sorrow fade away, to find her new self.

And she was born again, with him, a new woman.

**B&B**

Brennan woke up at dawn, like she was used to, but for the first time in so many years, her eyes opened to a different day, in a different place. Not in the silent, peaceful solitude of a cell, but in the blissful warmth of a man's embrace. Raising on her side, elbow resting on the bed, she held her head with her hand to better look at him as he slept calmly next to her. There were no demons now in his dreams. His features were relaxed. His eyelids almost still, and his lips slightly turned upwards in a contented smile. His right arm, still strapped to his stomach, and his right leg would heal soon, like the cuts and bruises on his skin. He had almost died for her, without a second thought, without a regret, willing to sacrifice everything for her. Her heart swelled.

"I love you," she vowed, placing her mouth on his.

He opened his eyes finding hers so close to his, a different shade of blue in the soft golden light of the rising sun piercing through the window.

"Temperance…," he said with a smile. His left hand cupped her cheek, pulling her near for a tender kiss. She reached out and placed his hand on her heart to make him feel its frantic beat. Then her left hand started moving on his chest, feeling the skin quiver as she rubbed her fingertips on his abdomen, and lower, softly, till she found the silky skin of his manhood. Booth closed his eyes and let a myriad of sensations sweep his mind away as she touched him.

She closed her eyes, too, to be as near to him as she could be while her hand discovered the most intimate part of him, her fingers brushing gently along its whole length. It was like burning velvet. She pressed on its pulsing vein and felt him throb in her hand.

"Oh, God…," he let out as her fingers explored the root of his groin. It stiffened under her touch. She opened her eyes to find Booth's hand clenching the sheet between them, eyes shut, jaw set tight. She felt her heart swell with love for him, and a powerful, ancestral call, surging deep within her, bringing back to life what had died in her.

_Annihilated by pain, an empty shell._

That's how she was.

_But_ _you h__ave been given a second chance…,__ with life…, with love._ The words Mother Elisabeth had spoken that day surged through her mind.

_Intercourse_. How many times had she heard that word? How many times had she experienced _that_? In the arms of another man, yes. But **this** man made her feel whole again.

"Seeley," she called to make him look at her. He opened his eyes. "Make love to me."

He turned on his left side, facing her. She pulled closer and circled his hip with her leg. Her hand guided him, then lay on his lower back. He moved into her, slowly, gently, holding her gaze, taking in her every reaction. Her body was soft, her folds enveloped him in a warm grip, welcomed him with no resistance. He stilled, buried inside her.

Never diverting her eyes, she pressed her hand on the small of his back, inviting him to move around her. And he was slow and gentle, yet so strong, so confident. She couldn't look at him anymore. She felt swept away, her fingers clinging to his skin, her head on his as she begged him to reach her. He wanted to never stop, to prolong her ecstasy forever while he took her to heights she had never been before, until her mind lost contact with everything that wasn't them, only them, in that very moment. One pulsing flesh, and one blissful soul.

**A/N: let me know your impressions on this, interacting with the readers is a great pleasure. Thanks for reading, Lilly**


	20. Chapter 20, Epilogue

**A/N: About chapter 19 and the end of the story. Like I said in previous Author's Notes, when I decided to write this story I didn't intend to upset any one, nor to offend any religion. I have put a lot of myself in this, a lot of research (and not just on religious matters), and I have discussed about the most important issues of my story with two colleagues of mine, a priest and a theologian. One of these issues concerned Booth and Brennan committing the quite common sin of giving in to the temptation of the flesh. Nothing blasphemous since she had renounced her vows, just one last struggle between the Flesh and the Soul. So, read on if you wish to find out how this story ends. Enjoy.**

**I would like to thank all the readers for the great response to this story and to my fiction in general, and I'm touched by the nice, encouraging words on my writing.**

**Gregg, it has been a privilege to have you by my side along this incredible journey. Thank you once again for the time you have dedicated to me, for your precious advice and for our beautiful friendship. This story is for you.**

**I do not own Bones.**

**EPILOGUE**

Brennan walked along the sparkling clean corridor and stopped before the last door on the right, raising her fist to knock like she had done so many times during her stay at the convent. Hesitating, she closed her eyes and drifted back in time. She saw herself standing by the French window, deep in thought, her gaze lost in the far distance. _A knock on the door_… at the sound of her name she had turned around, their eyes had locked, a river coming to the promised land. For one brief instant her heart had stopped beating in her chest, he had lowered his eyes, and she had known, in that very moment, that nothing would be the same anymore.

"_Our infinitely gracious Lord is showing you that earthly love exists, Temperance, and he has allowe__d you to find it in the eyes of this man. __Or e__lse __**He**__ would have never sent him to you; not now."_

She knocked, heard the familiar voice, pushed the door and stepped into the study.

"Good morning, Mother," she greeted.

"Temperance, my child!" the woman exclaimed, brightening up and promptly rising from the chair to walk towards her. Mother Elizabeth's embrace felt like home. Warm and soothing; always reassuring. Just like Gabriel, she had helped her out in the direst time of her life, shown her another type of love where giving meant so much more than taking, restored her hope in a future she had renounced. They had become her true family. The parents she would always turn to, like right now.

"I had to see you Mother."

"Of course! I was looking forward to seeing you, both of you. How is Agent Booth doing?" she inquired warmly.

"Fine. He is getting better and better with each passing day," stated Brennan, brightening up, yet unable to hold the Mother Superior's gaze.

"But…? Temperance, is there anything wrong?" she inquired, her smile turning into a frown.

"No, … yes," Brennan hastily corrected herself. "I… we…," she was so embarrassed she felt her cheeks turn to a vivid shade of pink and she had to divert her eyes. "We sinned," she confessed.

Mother Elisabeth raised her hand and gently caressed Brennan's auburn hair.

**"_**If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness**." _**"Do you remember whose words are these?" she asked.

"John's, Mother," replied Brennan, instantly recalling the beautiful passage.

"I will not, in my position, tell you that what you did is right, because it isn't. However, as the Elizabeth I once was, I cannot but understand and rejoice for you Temperance. I can tell by the way your eyes shine when you speak about him that you have experienced the perfect union between a man and a woman; the one that comes from true love. You have walked the way to the Cross, in every possible way, but the night of your suffering is over, my dear child. There is so much love in your heart, much more than you give yourself credit for, and you deserve to be loved. You're not alone anymore. You know what you have to do, both of you, before the eyes of God."

"We do, and," she paused, "there's one thing I'd like to ask you, Mother."

"I'm just Elisabeth." Temperance nodded. "Now, My Dear, let's have a walk in that beautiful piece of Heaven we know so well, shall we? That's where our most meaningful conversations, the ones I cherish the most, took place," she said truthfully, heading for the French window.

Brennan woke from her reverie. "You can't sleep?" she whispered moving a little closer into his embrace.

"No," Booth shifted on the bed to let her find a more comfortable position in his arms.

"Neither can I," she said.

Booth lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Apart from the pale moonlight filtering through the window the room was still immersed in darkness. Both conscious of the sanctity of the place they just lay close to each other, listening to the varying rhythm of their breathing and the rapid changing of their heartbeats as memories of their recent past came flooding back in their minds.

He moved his right hand on her back, gently rubbing her, soothing her. He closed his eyes, images mixed with words, and his mind started to wander again…

"_I shouldn't have let that happen, not so soon, but it felt so right," _he had looked at her with watery eyes, _ "I'm so sorry Temperance."_

"_Don't be. I have no regrets. How could I?"_ she had paused to look straight into his eyes. Hers were so full of love and trust his heart had skipped a beat. "_The scientist in me would say that what happened last night was just a biological response to the physical attraction between two consenting ad__ults, but what I felt, deep inside, was so much more than that. I felt my body and my soul finally reunite and become one entity with yours. I…, you were right that day, at the Hoover. I was trying to save my soul, what had taken me so long to achieve, t__he spirituality I had never had, the inner peace that had allowed me to carry on and I was so scared… and I struggled, God knows I did, to keep my promise to be His; only His. But I simply couldn't. No matter how far away I was the only thing I could thi__nk about was you. Us. _

_Gabriel knew. He told me he had always known. That the plan God had designed for me was a different one…. Oh how his words cut that night…. Before then I was blind and deaf, unable to see beyond the surface of reality and listen to __the cries of those in pain, trapped as I was in mine. And I had to go through my blindness and my own pain, through my own death to be alive again, and be a better human being. What I had always despised as a scientist has become my strength and now I know__ what His plan for me is…."_

She had cupped his cheeks andthen her hands had started to move, gently tracing the contours of his face, softly brushing the scars still visible there, as if, by doing so, she would have made them disappear and go back in time to erase all the suffering he had gone through, for her. He had felt unable to hold back the tears filling his eyes and let them fall down freely.

"_Don't cry…. You have given me the greatest gift of all…, your life…. You were willing to sacrifice your l__ife for me… for us…. While I was waiting for the squad to arrive I made a vow. Two," _she had stated with a smile. "_I promised I would spend the rest of my life with you, and try to give you all the love you deserve."_

"_Oh Temperance, I'll never regret what__ I did that day, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again if I had to. I thought He was punishing me, torturing me for desiring what was not meant for me, but I was wrong…. He was testing me..., my faith. I vacillated. I was like a stranded man in the des__ert, alone, once again. And I couldn't understand why I had to be condemned like that when I had so much to give. And then I came to realize that I had always taken, even those rare stolen moments of happiness. I was empty, and you've made me full again an__d I want you to know how grateful I'll ever be to have you," _he had paused, suddenly recalling her last words._ "You said two vows…."_

"_Yes, I promised the baby and I would be your family, the family neither of us has ever had."_

Booth opened his eyes, his left hand reached out, his fingers found hers and lingered on the gold wedding band she wore. He took her hand, brought their intertwined fingers to his lips and kissed her ring. Then he placed her hand on his heart. "You have fulfilled your first vow," he whispered holding her tight as if his life depended on it.

She nodded. "And now we are about to keep the second one. We shouldn't be that nervous, still…"

"We are. It's a very special day, Temperance. And I'm so glad you chose to celebrate it here."

Brennan raised and gently ran her hand on his cheek then turned towards the window, a new day was about to begin. "Let's get dressed. There is something I wish to share with you."

**B&B**

In the break of dawn they left the guest house of the convent and headed down the narrow lane they had walked through, together, four months before. Then she had taken him along a different lane leading to the other side of the pond. Scars had healed. The chilly air of spring had turned into a fresh summer breeze and the gold of the daffodils morphed into the brilliant red of the Indian Blanket daisies touched by the first light of the rising sun. Booth went still. They were enveloped by a myriad of sparkling flames rising up to the sky from the ground. Bewildered, he was unable to comprehend the beauty that surrounded them.

"Temperance, I have never…," he paused, swallowing the lump in his throat.

She looked at him. The image of her surrounded by the golden narcissus appeared in his mind: so beautiful, yet so sad; so close to him, yet so unreachable. He had refrained from pulling her in his arms, and Brennan's lips on his brought him back to reality. She didn't need to say a word, because she knew, she had always known, what both had felt that very day. No sense of guilt could prevent her from kissing him now, from feeling his warm body pressed to hers.

She took his hand, curling her fingers around his, and they resumed their walk to the pond, until they reached a small wooden bridge surmounted by a pergola where white and mauve wisterias displayed their magnificent blossom. She led him to the middle and looked eastward.

"Just a few more minutes," she said, seeing the first warm rays pierce the branches of three weeping willows by the bank. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and heard words reemerge from her past.

… _our Lord has infused into you the breath of a new life, my child, now infuse that breath into this land__…_

Mother Elisabeth had told her showing her that portion of untilled park.

A tear lingered on her eyelashes. Booth stepped behind her and gently circled her body with his strong arms. She was always touched by his tenderness. She felt his hand travel down and stop on the slightly visible curve of her belly to caress the new life that had started to grow inside her. She put her hand on his and she admired, with him, the miracle of life repeating itself once again, the sleepy buds swell and bloom from beneath the glimmering surface, one by one, like the warm touches of color carefully chosen by the father of the Impressionists.

"Temperance, this is so beautiful," he whispered in her ear when all the flowers had opened. The glittering water reflected the shades of the _nympheas _she had planted over the years. "Eight," he stated, looking at the flowers in the pond. "You've planted _**eight**_ species of water lilies." He scanned every detail of their surroundings. It wasn't just the resemblance with Monet's paintings that was remarkable; it was _how_ she had composed the whole scenery which made it outstanding.

"I guess you know why I chose that many?" she asked.

He nodded. He knew, and he had lost count of all the times he had discussed the recurrence of numbers and colors in the Holy Bible with Father Stephen, after Catechism. A smile crossed his face as the words of the old priest came to his mind. _"Seeley, you'd make an excellent priest."_

"Eight…it symbolizes your new beginning," he said. "Your new life, in spite of all the pain you've been through, what you did here is amazing Temperance," he stated solemnly. "I… don't know how to explain this…-"

"Don't say anything. Just be, with me," she said.

He held her even closer, wrapping his strong arms around her, wishing to protect her forever from the devastation she had experienced in her previous life. Brennan had always known it would be impossible to forget. Shattered by pain, her body had died that night, but her soul had found another way in a spiritual world where suffering simply didn't exist. And when _this man_ had come, her body had surged back to life. She was not an empty shell anymore, for she had reached the perfect union with _him._ She closed her eyes again, and inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the _Virginalis, the Comanche, the Marliacea _water lilies to fill every fiber of her body like she had done so many times before to nourish every fiber of her soul.

Booth closed his eyes too, breathed in the light smell of the white, pink and yellow flowers now fully open, his right hand still resting softly on the new life they had created in her womb. He felt incredibly light, yet so full of her, finally at peace with himself, in unison with the universe. He knew evil still existed, somewhere, out there, but all he wanted was this moment of pure bliss to never end, with her in his arms, as one living being. And he lost contact with reality.

Brennan opened her eyes and stirred in his embrace. "I think we should go now. They'll be waiting for us," she said, still holding him close.

Booth nodded, but didn't flinch. "Just one more minute," he whispered, placing a kiss on her hair.

**B&B**

The small chapel at Saint Mary's convent was bathed in the warm light of the morning sun filtering through the stained glass windows. The smile on Mother Elizabeth's face made everybody turn towards the door as she saw Brennan step into the church, Booth by her side, holding a three-month old dark haired baby in her arms. "Don't be afraid," she whispered gently in her ear sensing the baby stiffen, shutting her big black eyes and burying her little face in her neck. Booth's trained senses scanned rapidly the whole place, observed the people gathered there, taking in the familiar faces of Carter, Sommers and the rest of the squad he had been with in El Salvador, and some new faces until his eyes stopped on Gabriel, waiting for them by the altar.

The old man's gaze immediately locked on Brennan's. His countenance radiated a powerful, reassuring warmth, his lips slightly turned upwards, at the sight of the woman he had saved on a stormy night six years before, carrying the little orphan she and Booth had shielded during the earthquake.

Booth's heart swelled in his chest and he held back the tears he felt coming as his eyes met Gabriel's. The father gave him a nod then placed his soothing hand on his shoulder. Mother Elizabeth stood by them, holding the immaculate gown she was to place later on the child's body. The Franciscan friar laid his hand on the baby's head and smiled at the little girl who let out a shriek of sheer joy at the familiar face. Eyes filled, many fought back their tears.

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them," Booth began reading from the Bible, barely able to hold himself together. "But the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, '_Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. __Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it._' And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

"Beloved brothers and sisters," Gabriel said, addressing the congregation. "We are gathered here today to welcome a very special child into our community. She was born once, defeated death, and was born again in the arms of this man, and this woman." He bore his sparkling eyes into Brennan, then into Booth.

"What name do you give to this child?" he asked.

Brennan looked at him. "_Gabrielle…_," she said, then turning to the Mother Superior, "_Elizabeth__.._.," she paused, fixed her brilliant blue eyes on Booth's, and finally pronounced the name the baby had been given the day she was born, "_Esperanza_."

**A/N: I hope you liked this final part, reviews are appreciated, always. Have a nice summer holiday. I will be back in the fall, thanks for reading, Lilly**


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